Historical aspects and challenges of teaching engineering geology to engineering students

Abstract

This paper discusses some points of the evolution of Engineering Geology based on a survey of historical facts, books, and other types of publications and technical reports and analyzes the teaching in engineering schools, specifically in the São Carlos School of Engineering, at University of São Paulo (EESC/USP). The survey involved the main topics considered in the teaching of Engineering Geology and both successes and challenges of the teaching experience at undergraduate and graduate levels at EESC/USP over the past 50 years are presented. Engineering Geology teaching has undergone different phases and adaptations to the evolution of knowledge and research procedures. According to the survey, it focuses on four large groups of didactic activities for the current decade and, perhaps, for the next one in several countries. The first group refers to access to materials of each topic in the format of books, videos, and lectures available on websites and the second includes face-to-face activities on the solution of practical problems related to a specific topic. The third group focuses on field and laboratory works, whereas the fourth comprehends development and analyses of specific civil work projects, mineral exploration, and environmental problems according to both face-to-face and non-face-to-face methodologies.