June 2000–June 2003
The goal of this project was to create activities that would empower students to take active roles in developing complex engineering systems ranging from buildings and bridges to entire cities.
Faculty in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department developed a wide assortment of online modules that combine text, schematic figures, photographs, and simulations in the areas of solid mechanics and structural design. The modules introduce students to relevant principles, and then allow them to apply these principles in designing and analyzing structures through interactive simulations. Students manipulate the controls themselves to further explore the material. The group is also developing intelligent tutoring environments as tools to support active learning of the structural behavior of mechanical systems.
These tools enable students to answer questions as they move through the modules, and to receive feedback on the accuracy of their answers. The tools also help instructors see where students are struggling to understand the material. The faculty also developed surveys and journaling tools to investigate students’ ability to work effectively in teams on collaborative engineering design projects. The tools allow team members to see what others are doing, to share their work, and to exchange feedback in real time. Assessment of the students’ performance, both individually and as a team, is considered vital and is being built into the collaborative environment.
Investigator: Prof. Herbert Einstein, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering