Civil Engineering Course Research Articles

Discussion on the Teaching Reform and Practice of “Civil Engineering Materials” under the Background of “New Engineering”

As a fundamental course in civil engineering, the reform and practice of “Civil Engineering Materials” are crucial for the development of the civil engineering discipline. This paper addresses previous teaching shortcomings and integrates the new requirements of “New Engineering” construction. It explores the reform of teaching methods for “Civil Engineering Materials” in five areas: optimization and integration of teaching content, adjustment of experimental content, application of online learning platforms, cultivation of students’ innovative abilities, and optimization of assessment methods. The paper offers constructive suggestions for the future development and practice of the course.

Navigating complex riskscapes: the Koudiet Eddraouch GIS substation project in Sub-Saharan Africa

Learning outcomes Risk identification and qualitative assessment are the learning outcomes. Case overview/synopsis The Bharat Bijlee Construction Limited (BBCL) was one of the largest construction companies operating in the power sector in India. After successfully completing a few projects in the Middle East, BBCL decided to expand its presence into African region. The BBCL was awarded a $85m contract for three sub-station projects to modernise Algeria’s power grid system by the “Shariket Karhaba Koudiet Eddraouch Spa”, a state-owned company in charge of power generation, transmission and distribution in Algeria. The project, which is the first of BBCL in Saharan region in Algeria’s, presents many unique situations that company had never encountered before, including sand dunes, severe weather, remote locations, supply chain & logistics, strict contractual deadlines and a high level of construction risk. The project manager for BBCL was sceptic about how well his company would perform under the present project circumstances. How could he better align himself with the client, the various on-site local contractors and the numerous suppliers spread around the world? The case emphasises the identification of various project risks that the project manager might encounter in the project. What do the PESTLE and ASCE frameworks for risk identification each represent, and how are they helpful for the project team in understanding various risks? How should the project’s qualitative risk assessment be conducted? And how can a heat map be a better tool for comprehending the criticality of each risk in the project? Complexity academic level Undergraduate and post graduate courses in project management, civil engineering and architecture domain. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 2: Built Environment.

Teaching Reform and Practice of Soil Mechanics Course in the Context of Emerging Engineering Science

With the accelerated development of scientific and technological progress and industrial upgrading, Emerging Engineering Education has become the key to cultivate high-quality and innovative talents, and the teaching reform of the Soil Mechanics course, as a core basic course of civil engineering, is particularly important for adapting to the engineering needs of the new era. This paper discusses the teaching reform and practice of Soil Mechanics courses in the context of emerging engineering science, and puts forward the introduction of cutting-edge technology, updating course content, innovative teaching methods, the teaching quality of Soil Mechanics courses and the comprehensive quality of students, and other strategies, and seeks to promote the significant improvement of the quality of teaching and the quality of talents. Among them, the application of virtual reality and project-driven learning mode enhances students' practical ability and innovative thinking. The strengthening of practical teaching links and industry-university-research cooperation has enhanced the opportunities for students to participate in actual engineering projects, while the integration of Civic and Political Education has fostered students' professional ethics and sense of social responsibility. In the future, the course of Soil Mechanics will continue to adjust and optimise the teaching mode, cultivate high-quality civil engineering talents adapted to the needs of emerging engineering science, and provide powerful support for modern engineering construction.

Implementation of a visualization teaching approach for mechanical analysis in civil engineering structures

AbstractThe visualization method for mechanics knowledge in civil engineering courses is very important, which can help students learn abstract mechanics. Combined with the structural analysis software, this paper develops a visualization teaching approach for mechanical analysis in civil engineering structures based on the proposed deformation decomposition method, such as elastic mechanics, material mechanics and structural dynamics. Compared with traditional strain analysis method, the proposed method is more intuitive and can identify more macroscopic basic deformations. By aid of a survey for undergraduate students and master students, the teaching effectiveness of the visualization course is higher than that of the blackboard writing course. Besides, Mann–Whitney test results show that there is a significant difference. The proportion of undergraduate students that think the combination of visualization has good effects are greater than those of master students. The proposed visualization teaching approach can be promoted in mechanics courses of civil engineering.

Integrating Theory and Practice Through Innovation in Civil Engineering Education: A Course Based on Project Learning and the CDIO Approach

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of an introductory civil engineering course employing the CDIO approach and project-based learning integrated with agile methodologies in developing practical skills and competencies among first-semester students. Theoretical Framework: Drawing on contemporary trends in engineering education, the study emphasizes active, experiential learning and the integration of theory with practice, enhancing both technical abilities and soft skills such as innovation, creativity, and problem-solving. Method: The course uses a modular curriculum involving four projects: a provisional emergency bridge, a student residence building, a 3D printed truss, and a functional prototype of photovoltaic pavement. Each project involves design, planning, budgeting, construction, and rigorous testing, combining CDIO standards with project-based learning supported by agile methodologies. Results and Discussion: The course has successfully fostered essential engineering and soft skills in first-semester students, improving competencies in innovation, teamwork, communication, leadership, and resilience through hands-on projects. Research Implications: Integrating project-based learning with the CDIO approach significantly improves educational outcomes, preparing students for real-world engineering challenges and transforming traditional teaching roles into mentorship-based approaches. Originality/Value: This study provides empirical evidence on the benefits of combining the CDIO framework with project-based learning, highlighting the need for practical, challenge-based learning opportunities to prepare students for modern engineering professions.

Evaluation of flipped classroom teaching quality for civil engineering courses

The impact of civil engineering course education on civil engineers is profound and crucial. Due to the hierarchical and ambiguous nature of quality assessment for flipped classroom teaching, there is an urgent demand for a rational and effective approach to conduct such assessments. This would enable the targeted formulation of instructional improvement methods based on assessment outcomes, ultimately elevating the quality of pedagogy. This study combines the analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy evaluation method. The fuzzy evaluation method is utilized to identify four primary evaluation factor sets, fourteen secondary judgment factor sets, and five evaluation outcome sets, with subsequent quantification of the assessment results. The analytic hierarchy process is employed to ascertain the weight coefficients of the evaluation factors. The comprehensive assessment model for flipped classroom teaching quality is established. The assessment results indicate that the overall quality of flipped classroom teaching in the civil engineering major at Anhui University of Science and Technology, conducted through the platform of Superstar Learning Hub, falls within the ‘Good’ category. The fuzzy comprehensive evaluation score for extracurricular learning quality is the lowest, and the weight proportion attributed to flipped classroom infrastructure is the highest. Consequently, several targeted improvement measures are proposed to enhance the quality of flipped classroom teaching.

An investigation and research on the teaching mode of civil engineering courses in Korean universities

An investigation and research on the teaching mode of civil engineering courses in Korean universities

Gender Discourses in Civil Engineering TVET College programs: Marginalized Female Voices in the Learning of Engineering Concepts

Collectively, the Engineering sector is still the most male-dominated field and most TVET College graduates are males. Why is this even a case when the fourth industrial revolution pushes all livelihood boundaries and ensures that males and females are exposed to similar opportunities in the sector? Of course, there can never be a comprehensive response to this patriarchal question. Hence, this study delved into this societal issue through classroom discourse in a Civil Engineering and Building Construction course at a TVET college in Limpopo Province. This study was premised on the fact that lecturers in the college use “male” examples more than those of women which affects how women perceived the Civil Engineering field. Moreover, this study laid bare the preferences of female students and how they want to be involved in discourses without making reference to gender roles. This study used a qualitative research approach for a case of eleven (11) female students. Data was collected through focused group interviews. The study employed the Social Identity Theory as its framework. The study found that indeed unconscious biases are happening during classroom discourses and that the lecturers seem to be unaware of this. As a recommendation, reskilling, and upskilling of TVET college lecturers is needed as a matter of urgency with a focus on their scholarship of teaching and learning. Universities as close partners to TVET colleges can facilitate these professional development programs. This study contributes to the global discourse on female inclusion in the engineering sector and the pedagogical practices of an engineering educator in a TVET college. Keywords: Classroom discourse, Civil Engineering, Female students, TVET colleges

Overview of Brazilian Higher Education: The Perspective of the Civil Engineering Program

This scientific article proposes an enhanced analysis of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Brazil, focusing on Public HEIs (Federal, State, and Municipal) and Private HEIs (Community-based, Confessional, Philanthropic, and for-profit). The adopted approach stems from a meticulous historical analysis of face-to-face Civil Engineering courses, considering the various intermediary regions in Brazil. The study is based on data from the National Higher Education Assessment System (SINAES), the Higher Education Census, as well as demographic and territorial data provided by IBGE, and information from CONFEA. The theoretical framework of this article is grounded in the essential concepts of Brazilian Higher Education, Higher Education Institutions, the National Higher Education Assessment System, Civil Engineering Courses, and the Civil Construction Industry. A relevant factor incorporated into this analysis is the impact of territory, encompassing not only physical and environmental characteristics but also cultural and infrastructural issues.

Lecture-Based and Project-Based Approaches to Instruction, Classroom Learning Environment, and Deep Learning

<p style="text-align:justify">Institutions of higher education generally employ both lecture-based and project-based approaches to instruction. This study aims to investigate which aspects of lectures and project-based instructional environments contribute to “deep” and “surface” approaches to student learning. We collected and compared survey data from undergraduate students taking a civil engineering course in which they were assigned to a section taught with lecture-based instruction (n = 181) or with project-based instruction (n = 142). Data analysis was performed after controlling for the effects of the motivational goal orientations of students. A positive correlation can be found between deep learning and higher levels of investigative culture and student involvement in the project-based classroom. Additionally, we found that higher levels of task orientation in the project-based classroom had an inverse correlation with a “surface approach”. We discussed the value of an investigative and participatory learning atmosphere for student approach to learning and its curricular implications for the design of project-based and lecture-based instruction.</p>

Bringing Social Justice Context into Civil Engineering Courses for First-Year and Third-Year Students

Bringing Social Justice Context into Civil Engineering Courses for First-Year and Third-Year Students

Student-Centered Assessment Research on Holographic Learning Paradigm Based on Intelligent Analytic Hierarchy Process in Teaching of Bridge Engineering Course

As the core course of civil engineering, the teaching quality of bridge engineering and the learning effectiveness of students are crucial for the construction of bridge engineering. The traditional teaching of bridge engineering courses tends to be teacher-centered, with learning as a supplement, and therefore is commonly referred to as teacher-centered. This article analyzes the drawbacks of the teacher-centered teaching model and proposes a student-centered holographic teaching method in the teaching practice of bridge engineering courses. By reconstructing the learning content and constructing a holographic information field from a comprehensive perspective of digital, physical, and humanistic aspects, a teacher–student learning community guided by teachers and deeply participated in by students is established. From the perspective of integrating life experience, professional knowledge cognition, and engineering philosophy thinking, the learning effect of students is made high order, innovative, and challenging. The improved analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to evaluate the student-centered holographic teaching concept, and the results showed that adopting a multidimensional and multi-level holographic teaching method has great practical significance in promoting the establishment of student knowledge systems and the development of diversity.

Effectiveness of project-based learning in a reinforced concrete course of civil engineering

The application of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in a Reinforced Concrete course through the development of a real-life civil engineering project from its conception, as a coursework, is a challenged experience for students. As long as the coursework evolves, students develop real ways to think as an engineer and they work in an environment similar to that of daily engineering practice.The effect of the PBL implementation on learning and acquisition of knowledge and skills in a Reinforced Concrete subject from the [University] in [Country] has been analyzed through some evidences such as the partial and final grades, the results of a survey and the perceptions drawn from students’ interviews. As observed, thanks to the application of the PBL strategy, learning and motivation of students has increased, in addition to the final summative assessment, without a significant increase on the workload. This methodology improves not only the acquisition of knowledge and engineering skills, but also transversal skills such as entrepreneurship, leadership, communication, time management, teamwork and other social abilities directly related to those required by the current market for their future professional life.

Digital tools used on the teaching-learning process in geotechnical engineering

This article presents the incorporation of information and communication technologies on the teaching-learning process of geotechnical engineering to improve the quality of education and provide practical knowledge to civil engineering students. The content of this paper is divided into three main modules, which are: Treatment of laboratory tests results, Slope stability and Rock mass stability. For this, some software were used, including 2D limit equilibrium stability analysis, stability analysis of rock wedges and a dynamic mathematics, to obtain and analyze soil shear strength parameters, among others. Furthermore, a digital tool was developed to analyze the results gathered in compaction, one-dimensional consolidation, and direct soil shear tests, in order to clarify the relationship between theoretical concepts and practical results of the tests and analyses and to help students on doubts, in addition to increase their interest and motivation to perform the complete interpretation of the collected data. The activities were conducted in classes of geotechnical disciplines of the undergraduate course in Civil Engineering at the Federal University of Viçosa, aiming to promote active learning and improve teaching quality. Based on the results of an applied feedback questionnaire, it was observed that most students were satisfied with the resources used in the classroom, demonstrating that the implemented digital tools work as a didactic instrument that facilitates learning and comprehension of practical problems, in addition to enabling the resolution of several geotechnical engineering problems much more quickly and efficiently.

Different Assessment Methods in a Civil Engineering Course

Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, there has been a need for exploring different assessment methods and approaches to teaching. The purpose of the present paper is to share the experiences and discuss three different assessment methods that have been used in the same university course within civil engineering studies over the last three years. The three assessment methods which have been explored are (i) a conventional four-hour unseen exam with calculation tasks performed at the campus, (ii) a 24-hour home exam with calculation tasks and (iii) a portfolio-based assessment with an additional oral exam.
 The choice of assessment method clearly influenced the grades where the portfolio-based assessment with the additional oral exam produced more than a grade higher average than the two other assessment methods. Interestingly, there were no indications of gender differences between the assessment methods. Females and males achieved similar average grades in all the introduced modes of assessments.
 Based on comparisons between the portfolio results and the following oral exam there are indications that the improved grades were not only a function of an “easier assessment method” but might also be because of better performance which may partly be induced by the mode of assessment.

Enhancing Structural Engineering Education: Integrating Artificial Intelligence for Continuous Improvement

The study aims to analyze the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) usage on structural learning through student-developed programming in open-source software languages: Python, Octave, and OpenSees. The research collaborates with 90 undergraduate students in the early courses of civil engineering at the Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo. The ADDIE methodology is employed in the initial phase for planning, development, and monitoring. A survey on students' perceptions regarding effectiveness, satisfaction, recommendation, and feedback is conducted, followed by academic performance evaluation using a grading rubric to verify the achievement of set objectives. An analysis of factors contributing to AI-focused learning is then performed. Initial results revealed outliers, some deviating from study parameters and others discarded for a comprehensive view of study behavior. Regarding the survey data analysis, efficiency and satisfaction exhibited the highest reliability. Subsequently, variables were correlated considering their normality, showing a relationship between effectiveness and satisfaction; however, a strong connection cannot be guaranteed for these or other variables. Therefore, ANOVA tests, indicating positive linear relationships, and hypothesis testing were employed, demonstrating that students achieved objectives with a moderately high degree of effectiveness and satisfaction. The use of technological options and consideration of innovative learning methods can positively enhance the learning experience, contingent on prior education. Exploring artificial intelligence may prove challenging without guided information search based on predefined criteria and constraints.

A Systemic Review of Literature on Teaching Physics in Civil Engineering Courses

A Systemic Review of Literature on Teaching Physics in Civil Engineering Courses

Movement of Water on The Soil: Teaching by the Use of Physical Models

Dams, embankments, roads, and other structures are subject to stress changes due to pore pressure, which can lead to instability and even failure. Considering the need to understand the processes that act on these structures and the difficulty often encountered by students in visualizing the action of water and its movement in the soil, this paper aims to present the practical activities developed in the Soil Mechanics Department of the Civil Engineering Course of the State University of Minas Gerais - João Monlevade, Brazil, which dealt with the movement of water in soil structures and discussed the design and stability aspects of these. One of objectives was to develop the student's protagonism through direct involvement in the design and execution of the physical model of earth and tailing dams. This topic is crucial for geotechnical engineering and even more so for the region where João Monlevade is located, as several iron mining companies use tailings dams and earth structures. The execution of the model by the students was preceded by theoretical discussions on aspects such as the Darcy´s law, hydraulic head, the types and characterization of soil and tailings, pore pressure and your influence of the safety factor. These activities were developed in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. As a result, a learning gain was achieved because the models were developed on a small scale by the students, who personally checked the variation of the parameters of the materials and water in the experiments.

Implementing Technical Communication Instruction in a Civil Engineering Course: The Value of Knowledge Surveys and Peer Review

Implementing Technical Communication Instruction in a Civil Engineering Course: The Value of Knowledge Surveys and Peer Review

Analysis of teamwork skill development in a flipped civil engineering course

AbstractAs an innovative pedagogy, flipped classroom approach enables instructors to move direct instruction out of class and convert class time to a dynamic learning environment where students engage in teamwork, problem‐solving, and other interactive activities. Previous research has concluded that, when implemented well, flipped learning has the potential not only to increase learning gain but also to improve students’ professional skills such as teamwork, communication, and life‐long learning, which are deemed to be critical in engineering education and practice. This study aimed to examine the development of teamwork skills in a flipped civil engineering course. A sequential mixed‐method approach was adopted to understand students’ attitude toward teamwork, confidence in teamwork, and teamwork skill development. Quantitative data included pre‐ and postcourse surveys and peer evaluation (PE) and self‐evaluation (SE) while qualitative data included focus group interviews. Results indicated that students’ attitudes toward teamwork slightly improved, but it was not statistically significant. Confidence in teamwork, however, significantly improved after being engaged in a semester‐long team project. Teamwork skill development was assessed through four PE and SE conducted after each major project milestone. Findings are discussed and implications for classroom implementations and future research are presented.