Numerous research studies have evaluated whether distance learning is a viable alternative to traditional learning methods. These studies have generally made use of cross-sectional surveys for collecting data, comparing distance to traditional learners with intent to validate the former as a viable educational tool. Inherent fundamental differences between traditional and distance learning pedagogies, however, reduce the reliability of these comparative studies and constrain the validity of analyses resulting from this analytical approach. This article presents the results of a research project undertaken to analyze expectations and experiences of distance learners with their degree programs. Students were given surveys designed to examine factors expected to affect their overall value assessment of their distance learning program. Multivariate statistical analyses were used to analyze the correlations among variables of interest to support hypothesized relationships among them. Focusing on distance learners overcomes some of the limitations with assessments that compare off- and on-campus student experiences. Evaluation and modeling of distance learner responses on perceived value for money of the distance education they received indicate that the two most important influences are course communication requirements, which had a negative effect, and course logistical simplicity, which revealed a positive effect. Combined, these two factors accounted for approximately 47% of the variability in perceived value for money of the educational program of sampled students. A detailed focus on comparing expectations with outcomes of distance learners complements the existing literature dominated by comparative studies of distance and nondistance learners.

Political risk has been a pervasive problem in international construction projects. International contractors have, in response, endeavored to mitigate the high degree of political risk exposure to survive. Few prior works have focused on political risk in the context of international construction projects. To improve political risk management in international projects, a thorough literature review is first undertaken to identify the potential variables affecting the political risk level (PRL). An international questionnaire survey that included 85 variables is then conducted to obtain opinions from the relevant professionals. By using factor analysis to analyze the multivariate interrelationships among those variables, 10 underlying factors are extracted and interpreted including six macrofactors and four microfactors. These underlying factors are used to evaluate the PRL of six ongoing international projects and provide alternative strategies for four political risk scenarios. The findings of this research can not only assist international contractors to gain a better understanding of the deeper determinants of political risk, but also serve as a useful reference for international contractors when adopting appropriate strategies to manage the political risk of international projects. The specific political risk shape of a project is generated to allow the project manager to identify strengths and weaknesses and to compare the PRLs of international projects.

The paper describes the use of gaming simulation in the teaching of integrated land use–transportation planning as a part of an undergraduate civil engineering course. A key innovation of the UPTown game developed at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, is the way in which the actions of both public-sector planners and private-sector real estate developers are simulated by students. This allows students to explore the problems of conflicting objectives and to discover the value of cooperative planning in the land use and transportation development process. The paper describes the background to and rationale for an integrated planning course, and it explains the game and simulation aspects in detail. Assessment of student performance showed that the game significantly enhanced the achievement of learning outcomes. Students who faced more complex and open-ended tasks performed better, reaching higher levels of competence earlier on in the game. The paper should be of value to educators who wish to develop new approaches, such as gaming simulation, to respond to contemporary engineering students’ preferences for more active and social learning styles.

Natural and environmental hazards include earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, landslides, and droughts, among several others. These hazards present high risk to human lives and infrastructure. This is particularly true when such systems affect populated areas, devastating homes, highways, buildings, and social structure. A key aspect of natural hazard mitigation is the implementation of adequate strategies for data collection, processing, and sharing. This implementation can be prior to a natural disaster event for purposes of risk assessments and planning or postevent for disaster relief efforts and to document and learn from these case histories. In this paper, the authors present their experience in developing and implementing a course on natural hazards, which also focused on the benefits of using information technology (IT)-based solutions for natural hazard risk management. In the United States, most civil engineering (CE) curricula offer elective courses focusing primarily on traditional CE specialty areas (e.g., structures, geotechnical, hydraulics, environmental, construction management, and transportation). Therefore, there is typically no formal education in natural disasters in undergraduate CE curricula despite the critical role that CE professionals play in natural hazard risk mitigation and relief activities. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the course developed in the CE department at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) and highlight how the use of IT solutions was integrated in a seamless way as a fundamental component of the course. The inclusion of IT allowed students to participate in the development of an up-to-date technology-based system to collect and manage natural hazard data.

The integration of best industry practices into construction curricula can be used to advance the knowledge base of construction graduates and better prepare them to effectively respond to industry challenges. Arguably, construction programs in North American colleges and universities are rather slow in the adoption of industry best practices. This study assesses the state-of-the-art best construction practices integration into higher education curricula. Through the analysis of data collected by means of an online questionnaire, major findings regarding the level of academic awareness on best industry practices, and the level of integration of best practices into higher education curricula, are reported. This study makes three fundamental contributions to the body of knowledge. First, it provides factual data about the extent of use of industry best practices in various construction programs. Second, it discovers that graduate courses are a better fit for delivering information on best practices to the students. Finally, it unveils the weakness of the link between professional organizations and the academia. The findings presented should mutually help academia and industry to improve in an effort to produce high-caliber, job-ready employees.

Relational transactions, comprising relational contracts and network strategies, could contribute to better outcomes for general construction projects. However, public projects seem to face more constraints when adopting relational transactions because of the fear that close relationships may be construed as corruption. The aim of this study is to identify drivers of and barriers to relational transaction practices in public projects. A questionnaire-based survey of public projects was administered to construction professionals in Singapore. It is found that the adoption of relational transactions in public projects is motivated by (1) increased value proposition, (2) improved business competitiveness, and (3) improved project time and cost performance. Meanwhile, contracting parties attempting to adopt relational transactions are restricted by (1) a lack of capabilities, (2) ethos of public service, (3) a lack of continuity, and (4) institutional constraints. The implication is that with a better appreciation of the drivers and barriers, contracting parties could customize effective relational transaction strategies in public projects. It is recommended that contracting parties pay more attention to the institutional environment, as this affects the effectiveness of relational transactions.

For at least the last decade, engineering, civil engineering, along with structural engineering as a profession within civil engineering, have stated and continue to recognize an emerging need for raising the bar of the preparedness of young engineers seeking to become practicing professional engineers. The present consensus of the civil engineering profession is that the increasing need for broad and in-depth knowledge should require the typical young structural engineers to have a master’s degree or equivalent. This paper focuses on the preparedness of master’s-level graduates in the structural engineering area within the civil engineering field. It follows much of the methodology used in the ASCE body of knowledge determination for civil engineering and builds on this ASCE study to address the portion of the young engineer’s preparation beyond the undergraduate program for one specialty area of civil engineering. The objective of this research was to create a framework of knowledge for the young engineer which identifies and quantifies the needs of the profession by an assessment of the expected level of achievement in each of a number of structural engineering topics using Bloom’s taxonomy. This study applied a modified Delphi method to obtain the critical information from members of the structural engineering profession. The results provide a framework of knowledge that will be useful to several groups seeking to better ensure the preparedness of the future young structural engineers at the master’s level.

There is a national need for an increased quantity of engineers. In addition to pure quantity, there are calls for a more diverse engineering population capable of addressing increasingly complex and global future challenges. Many acknowledge that current institutionalized models of education may not be filling these needs and that extracurricular experiences may recruit and retain diverse engineers while supplementing traditional education. This research investigates the internationally-focused and largely unstudied organization, Engineers Without Borders (EWB-USA), to understand members’ perceptions of what an engineer needs to know, what gaps they experience in their education, and what gains they experience from their membership in EWB-USA. Responses to open-ended questions were collected from 505 members at five geographically spread regional EWB-USA workshops. These responses were analyzed for the total population and disaggregated for gender and professional status. The most common gains members identified were a global perspective, relationships, experience and application, and project management skills, which address both the future needs of the profession and more personal connections to the engineering field. In comparisons, females showed gains previously identified as important for engineering persistence, and student participants emphasized the engineering experience they gained through the organization. This large-scale study provides empirical evidence for past anecdotal indications that EWB-USA-like experiences can supplement existing curricula to help generate engineers of the future.

This study examines civil engineering students’ perceptions of freight transportation and its impacts on the environment and society. Research and anecdotal evidence suggests students enter into the field of transportation because they want to improve systems that impact the environment and/or society, and despite freight transportation’s increasing momentum as an emerging industry and research path, freight is often perceived as counter to sustainability, focused solely on profitability, and thus not as appealing to transportation students. This paper investigates whether increased exposure to and knowledge of freight transportation can change students’ perceptions of the field by either illustrating the potential for future environmental and sustainability gains within freight transportation or by illustrating the relationships between freight transportation and other contemporary transportation issues. Perceptions of students who took introductory freight transportation classes at several universities were measured using precourse and postcourse surveys to help better understand the influence of increased knowledge in freight transportation. Results indicate that after students have taken an introductory freight class, they more strongly agreed that there are sustainability improvements and gains to be had within freight transportation. Additionally, students made stronger connections between freight transportation and contemporary freight transportation issues after taking a freight class. These findings indicate that introductory freight transportation courses are useful in helping students understand the importance of and develop an interest in freight transportation.

Archaeological sites continue to be discovered and explored around the world. The archaeological materials buried within these sites can be of great cultural significance, but the process of exploration and preservation is challenging in these fragile and complex environments, especially in high population areas with substantial development. Civil engineers are often engaged with archaeologists in one of two roles, either as first finders on construction sites or as active contributors in preservation efforts on existing archaeological sites. In both cases, the effect of the interactions between the two parties can be elevated through improved understanding of archaeological needs, with the goal of establishing more routine and productive collaborations. A review of the professional intersections between the civil engineering profession and the archaeological community is presented in this paper. In the last few decades, there have been increased legislative efforts to protect archaeological sites, and a historical review of the effects of legislation for site conservation in the United States and United Kingdom is presented. On the basis of a cross-disciplinary literature review, the dissemination of cooperative relationships between civil engineers and archaeologists appears to be increasing, which is also indicated by the growth of strategic conferences and workshops. Lastly, this paper discusses prominent contributions that civil engineers have made, and should continue to make, in three specific areas of archaeological practice: subsurface exploration, foundation reuse and mixed foundation design, and site reburial.

This paper describes a unique service-learning course designed to introduce students to sustainable human development through a combination of classroom, laboratory, and fieldwork exercises. It responds to a need to educate engineers in addressing global societal problems. It provides a model that addresses the concerns and recommendations of various engineering accreditation boards in regard to the competencies expected of graduating university engineering students today. The course was multidisciplinary and involved a cohort of international students and faculty. The course employed multiple teaching methods and offered a variety of learning experiences. The study reported in this paper focuses on the students’ views of their learning and the course’s contribution to their development. More specifically, two research questions were considered with regard to (1) students’ learning outcomes and how they matched the course objectives and (2) learning experiences that were perceived as significant in promoting personal and professional development. The research findings imply that the course promoted various learning outcomes, and that the participatory and active learning experiences were the most significant learning experiences for the students.