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Introduction to Air Resources – Just In Time!

Elizabeth A. Eschenbach and Eileen M. Cashman

Environmental Resources Engineering Humboldt State University

Abstract This paper describes one of four curriculum modules that are used in an introductory environmental science and engineering course taught at Humboldt State University. ENGR 115: Introduction to Environmental Science and Engineering focuses on a resource approach to environmental management, with modules on air, land, water and energy resources. Blackboard® is used to assist in the course delivery. One of the course goals is to increase confidence in environmental engineering and environmental science majors via hands-on projects, case studies and active learning. The air resources module is taught over a three-week period in a fifteen-week semester. The module curriculum is delivered over 6 lectures and two 3-hour laboratory periods. This paper describes the lectures, labs and out of class activities. The pedagogical approach incorporates web-based teaching strategies including Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT), developed by physics instructors and used by many different disciplines. After completing assigned readings, the students take online quizzes that summarize these readings. The lecture period is used to clarify misconceptions that were discovered in the students’ responses to the online quizzes as well as present new material, using the JiTT approach. Air resources lab activities include an air resources allowance-trading auction, the determination of the ventilation rate of a student chosen enclosed space using a CO2 meter, and the measurement of CO levels from the campus fleet of vehicles. The curriculum development project is partially funded by a NSF Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Grant Award 0127139. The curriculum that is available for download at http://www.humboldt.edu/~eae1/CCLI02/ includes reading assignments, online quizzes, laboratory activities and selected portions of PowerPoint presentations.

Course Description Engineering 115: Introduction to Environmental Science and Engineering is a required introductory course for both Environmental Resources Engineering students and Environmental Science students at Humboldt State University (HSU), with between 60-75 students enrolled each semester. The course has two 50-minute lecture periods per week where all students meet together and a three-hour laboratory period with 24 students in each of three lab sections. The lecture periods are more of a recitation period, as they are interactive sessions, rather than a traditional lecture.

The course includes critical analyses of problems from both engineering and science perspectives through case studies in air resources, geotechnical resources, water resources and energy resources. The course integrates lecture, discussion, student projects, computer labs, wet labs and outdoor field labs in the context of environmental engineering and science students working together on resource management issues.

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Eschenbach, E., & Cashman, E. (2004, June), Introduction To Air Resources – Just In Time! Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13438