Challenges and opportunities in the introduction of relevant content from the social sciences and humanities in engineering curricula: perceptions from civil engineering academics

Purpose The construction industry is considered worldwide to be a dangerous industry because of its high rate of fatal accidents and serious injuries. This study aims to find ways to improve this situation by focusing on how to improve competence on health and safety (H&S) among newly graduated construction engineers in Norway. Design/Methodology/Approach In Norway, the regional safety representatives (RSRs) are considered to be cornerstones in ensuring H&S in the construction industry. Information in this study was gathered by conducting semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 RSRs. Findings The results show that RSRs believe that while construction engineers have sufficient theoretical competence on HS however, many seem to lack the practical competence needed to ensure and implement H&S measures. The informants underline the importance of work practice on construction sites as part of the education as key to improve H&S competence among graduates. Research Limitations/Implications Input on possible improvements is collected from only one group of stakeholders in the industry. Other stakeholders might have valuable input that should be considered before concluding what improvements in the education are most effective. Practical Implications The findings may help to decide upon and implement improvements in the education of construction engineers and, thus, contribute to a safer and healthier industry in the future. Originality/Value The stakeholder perspective of RSRs on education of construction engineers has not been considered in earlier research despite the fact that they represent vital competence on H&S in the construction industry. This study aims to fill some of this gap.

Engineering Leadership in Civil Engineering Project Management CurriculumThe NAE, Industry, educators, and professional engineering societies communicate the need forthe 21st century engineer to understand the principles of leadership and to be prepared to lead in avariety of venues, including government. While many engineering schools support thisproposition, many also lack an explicit functional mechanism by which to achieve it. Someschools may seek implicitly to foster leadership development in students through co-curriculargroup activities. Some existing engineering course curricula may contain implicit and explicitleadership components.The search for life in our solar system has begun with an exploration of the planet most likely tosupport life: Mars. Similarly, the search for existing leadership content in the system ofengineering courses should begin with an exploration of the course most likely to support thiscontent: project management.While leadership may exist in various facets of engineering curricula, civil engineering projectmanagement courses serve as a likely location to gauge the presence and prevalence of suchcontent. The ASCE Engineer of 2025 suggests leadership should exist in civil engineeringcurricula, challenging academia to provide “a more robust educational path for civil engineersthat prepares them for leadership and provides the multifaceted non-technical skills to serve onprojects affecting the public good.” For the purposes of this paper, civil engineering projectmanagement will serve as a sensitive litmus test for identifying leadership elements withinexisting engineering curricula.The ABET a-through-k criteria are argued by some as offering windows for integratingleadership into the engineering curriculum across disciplines. Project management coursecontent may include elements of team development and effective communication; it may evenexplore the economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety,manufacturability, and sustainability of a project design and its impact in a global, economic,environmental, and societal context.This paper surveys introductory civil engineering project management course content andidentifies the extent to which explicit and implicit leadership-related content is currentlyincorporated within the curriculum. Syllabi were collected from ABET accredited USengineering schools graduating the largest numbers of BS civil engineers. The syllabi wereanalyzed for implicit and explicit leadership content. Criteria for identifying leadership contentwere developed through a literature survey of leadership frameworks and models. Courses wereidentified as having either no leadership content, some content within a class period, or at leastone class period dedicated to leadership content. The paper discusses the nature and extent ofextant leadership within traditional civil engineering project management courses, and exploreshow leadership topics might be better incorporated within this subject and other engineeringtopics.

Background: The main purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of micro teaching achievements and teaching readiness to teaching practicum achievements in the Civil Engineering and Planning Education Study Program at Faculty of Engineering, Yogyakarta State University.Methods: This research is an ex-post facto study. The population of this study was 90 students of the Civil Engineering and Planning Education Study Program, class of 2019, with a sample of 73 students. The data collection technique used a questionnaire and documentation methods. Data analysis techniques were carried out using descriptive statistics, prerequisite analysis tests, and multiple regression analysis.Results: The results of the study show that: 1) there is a positive and significant effect of micro teaching achievements to teaching practicum achievements with tcount ttable (2.480 1.993943) at a significance level of 5%, 2) there is a positive and significant effect of teaching readiness to teaching practicum achievements with tcount ttable (25.871 1.993943) at a significance level of 5%, 3) there is a positive and significant effect of micro teaching achievements and teaching readiness together to teaching practicum achievements with R2 = 0.966; Fcount Ftable (1009.222 3.12576424) at a significance level of 5%. The relative contribution of micro teaching achievements is 7.296% and the effective contribution is 7.05%. The relative contribution of teaching readiness is 92.704% and the effective contribution is 89.58%.Conclusion: There is a positive and significant influence of Micro Teaching Achievements and Teaching Readiness on Teaching Practicum Achievements in the Civil Engineering and Planning Education Study Program with a contribution of 96.63%.

Offsite construction (OSC) is not new globally yet is still not widespread in Civil Engineering (CE) programs. This study proposes strategies for implementing OSC education in a CE undergraduate program curriculum. The research method used was the exploratory field study. Data were collected from three online questionnaires sent to interested parties: OSC industry professionals, faculty members, and final-year students. Each questionnaire sought to answer a specific objective of this study: to identify the design and onsite assembly competencies demanded by the industry, identify the interfaces between OSC and the CE program curriculum and determine the level of confidence of final-year students in applying OSC competencies. The collected data analysis was qualitative and generated from a crossing of the data from the three questionnaires, which supported the proposition of hypotheses for the insertion of OSC teaching by identifying the needs, deficiencies, and difficulties the three interested parties presented. Findings suggest that the OSC competencies most demanded by the industry are about knowing how to detail the interfaces between the components and the parts of the construction site, guarantee the assembly of elements within the deadlines, or learning how to take safety measures against accidents during the construction site. Data also suggest that students are interested in the subject but graduate with little confidence in applying most of the design and onsite assembly competencies demanded by the industry. One of the few exceptions is the knowledge to take safety measures against accidents on the job site. As a result, two hypotheses were generated to adopt OSC teaching in a Civil Engineering program.

Interdisciplinary engineering education (IEE) is gaining traction as engineering practices increasingly acknowledge the need to transcend traditional boundaries given the complexities of globalised systems. IEE, however, faces challenges that underscore uncertainties and different perceptions about what interdisciplinarity means for engineering education, what it requires, and how current educational practices should change accordingly. This study addresses these concerns by taking competencies as indicators. Analysing new angles interdisciplinary approaches bring to traditional engineering competencies, we first propose six IEE-related competency categories. We then use the Q-sort methodology to investigate how interdisciplinarity is envisioned within overall engineering educational goals. Findings highlight three distinct perspectives, seeing IEE respectively as social-holistic, technical problem-solving, and reflective pragmatic. Each perspective embodies specific values and conceptions about the role and implications of interdisciplinarity for engineering education. The multifaceted understandings of and approaches to realise IEE suggest the need for nuanced strategies and continuous dialogues in education.

The lack of prevention through design (PtD) education in higher education institutions has long been recognised in construction literature. Despite the fact that some of the institutions have embedded PtD education in their curricula, it is often not addressed in engineering curricula in higher education institutions in developing countries, such as Malaysia. Due to the recent introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health in Construction Industry (Management) [OSHCI(M)] guideline, which is based on the PtD concept, the need to incorporate the PtD concept and skills in engineering programs is crucial, as part of early safety education for future engineers. In order to address this gap in the body of knowledge, this study aims to investigate the current state of safety education in general and PtD in specific, in order to understand the extent the subject has been covered within the curricula of civil engineering programs in Malaysian higher educational institutions. A qualitative research methodology via case studies of seven public universities was adopted. The findings indicated that not only is the level of PtD education in civil engineering programs almost nonexistent, but the occupational health and safety (OHS) education itself was only covered to a certain extent. This significant gap has led to recommendations including the need for institutional dynamism in the context of incorporating OHS subjects, interactive OHS teaching and learning, technology-driven education, and the improving the competency of OHS lecturers. This study could act as a reference for the industry, accreditation bodies, and educational institutions to understand the status quo of PtD education for future engineers towards OSHCI(M) implementation. The findings also extend the knowledge of PtD education in construction literature, subsequently providing insights for wider incorporation of PtD in civil engineering programs.

This paper focuses on how the design and delivery of the Civil Engineering (CE) program at two universities in Europe aims to develop graduates who are not only aware of the requirement for sustainability, but also satifies the aspirations of industrial, professional bodies and academic stakeholders. To achieve this, a review is undertaken to determine the main areas of interest in Sustainable Development (SD), particular attention being paid to the role of CE. Primary data is collected using two case studies, one on the CE program at a University in the North East (NE) of England and another in the central part of Italy The findings indicate that although efforts are already been made to integrate sustainability into the CE curriculum, there is a need for urgent interventions not only to ensure enhancement of students’ knowledge on the theme, but also to convert this knowledge into responsible actions.

Apart from the importance of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in and of themselves, the potential contribution that they can make to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is huge. Even though some STEM fields have already incorporated SSH elements in their research and education, there are still other disciplines that have not yet approach the intersection between them and SSH. Among these is civil engineering (CE), which has traditionally been set as purely technological and has lacked the inclusion of SSH elements in it. Nonetheless, it is indispensable that engineers have knowledge in SSH to allow them to make decisions more perceptively, realistically and critically. Ultimately, this social understanding can lead them to design and plan solutions that are more socially sustainable. However, there are still no clear guidelines on how to include aspects from social sciences and humanities at the higher education level. This article analyses perceptions, the real status and possible barriers for the incorporation of SSH in the studies of CE. Besides, it analyses and discusses the different methodologies in which engineering students can be introduced to these topics. A triangulation method that combined the use of qualitative and quantitative data was used. Surveys to students, researchers, professors and practitioners were carried out (n=583). Besides, accreditation criteria and CE syllabuses of 100 faculties were reviewed. The analyses showed a dissent between individual perceptions, collective reality and legislative frameworks. Even though the survey responses showed a common agreement concerning the inclusion of SSH, only a minority of CE schools have introduced SSH in their curricula. Besides, accrediting bodies have not yet introduced this as a specific requirement in their criteria. The barriers detected in the incorporation of SSH in CE curricula were: (1) resistance to change, (2) external influences on the curricula, (3) lack of guidelines, (4) misconceptions on what SSH in relation to CE involves. It is necessary to gradually incorporate both hard social skills and soft skills from the beginning of the degree courses and to do so in a transversal way in most of the subjects if professionals and researchers that are capable of designing socially sustainable activities are needed.

Engineering education requires competent teachers to facilitate students’ interdisciplinary learning in solving complex problems and engage students in interdisciplinary teamwork. While most studies in the literature have focused on identifying or measuring students’ competencies, few studies have focused on teachers. What teacher competencies are essential for effective interdisciplinary teaching in engineering education? To answer this question and contribute to teacher development and improve student learning, this study analyzes teachers’ competencies in interdisciplinary engineering education. We conducted qualitative interviews with 14 teachers in engineering education with diverse disciplinary backgrounds in engineering, design, technology, science and business. Thematic analysis is used to highlight teachers’ social, affective, and pedagogical competencies. The results show that all three areas of competencies are considered to be essential for teachers. Teachers appear to have a good level of social competency, as they recognize the importance of effective communication with students and co-teachers across disciplines, as well as with industry partners. Teachers also exhibit a decent level of affective competency through their motivation for learning. In addition, we found that the lack of interdisciplinary-related knowledge added more difficulties for teachers to gain pedagogical competency in interdisciplinary engineering education. The results of this study can be used for designing teachers’ professional development programs related to interdisciplinarity.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in civil engineering programs and drawing techniques has the potential to revolutionize the industry. This study explores the benefits, challenges, and strategies for the effective utilization of AI in civil engineering. The research investigates the current state of AI integration, examines its applications in structural analysis, design, documentation, and project management, and identifies the barriers hindering widespread adoption. The study highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making, enhanced design visualization, improved accuracy and efficiency, streamlined documentation and communication, and enhanced project management and control. By addressing the challenges and providing insights into AI techniques, this study aims to bridge the gap between theoretical potential and practical implementation, paving the way for more sustainable and intelligent civil engineering projects.

BackgroundSocietal challenges that call for a new type of engineer suggest the need for the implementation of interdisciplinary engineering education (IEE). The aim of IEE is to train engineering students to bring together expertise from different disciplines in a single context. This review synthesizes IEE research with a focus on characterizing vision, teaching practices, and support.PurposeWe aim to show how IEE is conceptualized, implemented, and facilitated in higher engineering education at the levels of curricula and courses. This aim leads to two research questions:What aspects of vision, teaching, and support have emerged as topics of interest in empirical studies of IEE?What points of attention regarding vision, teaching, and support can be identified in empirical studies of IEE as supporting or challenging IEE?Scope/MethodNinety‐nine studies published between 2005 and 2016 were included in a qualitative analysis across studies. The procedure included formulation of research questions, searching and screening of studies according to inclusion/exclusion criteria, description of study characteristics, appraisal, and synthesis of results.ConclusionsChallenges exist for identifying clear learning goals and assessments for interdisciplinary education in engineering (vision). Most pedagogy for interdisciplinary learning is designed to promote collaborative teamwork requiring organization and team management. Our review suggests that developing interdisciplinary skills, knowledge, and values needs sound pedagogy and teaming experiences that provide students with authentic ways of engaging in interdisciplinary practice (teaching). Furthermore, there is a limited understanding of what resources hinder the development of engineering programs designed to support interdisciplinarity (support).

This review paper provides a comprehensive analysis of assessment technologies used to enhance civil engineering education. Drawing from a selection of recent research papers published between 2020 and 2024, the paper synthesizes insights into various assessment methods and their impact on student learning outcomes in civil engineering programs. The review covers diverse topics such as project-based learning, virtual laboratories, online assessments, mobile learning, gamification, and augmented reality. Each paper is analysed for its methodology, key findings, and implications for civil engineering education. Through this review, the paper aims to offer educators and policymakers valuable insights into the effectiveness of assessment technologies in fostering student engagement and improving learning experiences in civil engineering programs. Keywords: Assessment technologies, Civil engineering education, Project-based learning, Online assessments, Mobile learning

This review paper provides a comprehensive analysis of assessment technologies used to enhance civil engineering education. Drawing from a selection of recent research papers published between 2020 and 2024, the paper synthesizes insights into various assessment methods and their impact on student learning outcomes in civil engineering programs. The review covers diverse topics such as project-based learning, virtual laboratories, online assessments, mobile learning, gamification, and augmented reality. Each paper is analysed for its methodology, key findings, and implications for civil engineering education. Through this review, the paper aims to offer educators and policymakers valuable insights into the effectiveness of assessment technologies in fostering student engagement and improving learning experiences in civil engineering programs. Keywords: Assessment technologies, Civil engineering education, Project-based learning, Online assessments, Mobile learning

Teaching indoor environmental quality.

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits college and university programs in engineering under the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). The process follows Engineering Criteria (EC) 2000, which focuses on outcomes (what is learned) rather than what is taught. This paper presents an overview of the processes developed by the civil engineering (CE) program at Sultan Qaboos University to satisfy ABET Criteria 2, 3, and 4. The program had a successful accreditation visit in November 2013. Program educational objectives (PEOs) were developed. A review and revision process for PEOs was also developed. ABET student outcomes (SOs) were adopted by the CE program. SOs were broken to outcome elements. Key performance indicators were developed for each outcome element, according to the six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy for cognitive domain. The process used direct indicators from student work as well indirect survey instruments. The program has developed a detailed and systematic approach for assessment of SOs with feedback and follow-up on implementation of actions for continuous improvement. Planning for the next accreditation cycle of SO assessment proved valuable, as the new accreditation committee started executing an already laid out work plan.