Enhancing Civil Engineering Professional Skills through Survey Camp Course using Project-Based Learning

Abstract

This paper describes an effective approach of the learning environment via project based learning in enhancing engineering professional skills through the Survey Camp Course among civil engineering students. Five elements of the professional skills have been identified for observation, namely, communication, problem solving, team working, leadership and modern tool usage. A mixed method research methodology was utilized to observe the effectiveness of the implementation of project based learning environment in conducting the course and to assess students' professional skills development upon its completion. As a quantitative study, a set of instruments was developed and statistically tested to measure outcomes. The results from the pair sample t-test analysis show that there are statistically significant differences in students' professional skills before and after the course. Furthermore, in the qualitative study, the feedback from the students' reflective journals provided some inputs on how to improve the course. As a conclusion, it is found that the learning environment has positively enhanced students' professional skills as required of engineers of the 2020.