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Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering Using a Project-Based Module in a First-Year Engineering Course

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Conference

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana

Publication Date

June 26, 2016

Start Date

June 26, 2016

End Date

June 29, 2016

ISBN

978-0-692-68565-5

ISSN

2153-5965

Conference Session

PBL and Flipped Classrooms in Civil Engineering Education

Tagged Division

Civil Engineering

Page Count

14

DOI

10.18260/p.25467

Permanent URL

https://strategy.asee.org/25467

Download Count

2108

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Paper Authors

biography

Mary Roth Lafayette College

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Mary Roth is the Simon Cameron Long Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. She received her degrees in civil engineering from Lafayette College (B.S.), Cornell University (M.S.), and University of Maine (Ph.D.). She joined the faculty at Lafayette in 1991 and her research interests include risk assessment for earth retaining structures, site investigation methods in karst, and engineering pedagogy. She has authored or co-authored over 50 publications and has served as principal or co-principal investigator on nine grants from the National Science Foundation. At Lafayette College Dr. Roth has served as Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Director of Engineering, and Associate Provost for Academic Operations in addition to multiple faculty committee assignments. She has led campus-wide accreditation and assessment initiatives, implemented new faculty orientation programs, collaborated on the development of multiple proposals to private foundations, and coordinated interdisciplinary academic programs. She has received a number of awards in recognition of her scholarship and teaching including a Fulbright Scholarship in Norway, an American Council of Education Fellowship, and multiple teaching awards. Dr. Roth is a member of ASCE, ASFE, and ASEE. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi and is a licensed engineer in the states of Maine and Pennsylvania.

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Abstract

While there are many references available to faculty that provide ideas and research related to teaching introductory geotechnical engineering courses, the author has found no reference that addresses a project-based introduction to geotechnical engineering that is suitable for a first-year introduction to engineering course. As part of a required first-year introduction to engineering course at Lafayette College, the author has developed and taught multiple offerings of a seven-week course that provides a low-cost framework for students to achieve student learning outcomes directly associated with geotechnical engineering in addition to the general engineering learning outcomes required for all sections of the course. The geotechnical learning outcomes associated with the module include demonstrating a basic understanding of the field of geotechnical engineering, the ability to develop a simple model related to the geotechnical performance of a structure, and the ability to conduct a simple analysis of risk. The author developed a three-week project within the course in which teams of students identify, document, analyze, and report on (in writing and orally) campus structures that are exhibiting distress related to settlement or other soil-related issues. Assessment of the achievement of the geotechnical student learning outcomes in the course was conducted by analyzing student-generated concept maps and rubrics created for the project reports and presentations. Assessment results provide evidence that the seven-week course, including the three-week geotechnical module, successfully supports the general engineering learning outcomes and the geotechnical learning outcomes associated with the course.

Roth, M. (2016, June), Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering Using a Project-Based Module in a First-Year Engineering Course Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.25467

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