Assessing The Impact Of The Concrete Canoe And Steel Bridge Competitions On Civil Engineering Technology Students

Abstract

The new accreditation criteria (TC2K) of the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET require an assessment of Program Intended Learning Outcomes. Some of the learning outcomes required by the "a" through "k" and the Civil criteria of TC2K include leadership skills, teamwork skills, project management skills, communication skills, and design and construction skills.The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Institute for Steel Construction (AISC) sponsors regional and national concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions on an annual basis. The Civil Engineering Technology (CET) students at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) have participated in these competitions for the past nine years. These competitions give students a chance to apply what they have learned in the classroom.To assess the impact of the concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions on student learning and development, the authors carried out a survey of current students and graduates of the CET program at RIT who have been members of the concrete canoe and steel bridge teams. The issues addressed in our survey include the following: impact of these activities on leadership skills, communication skills, teamwork skills, design and construction skills, project management skills, confidence levels, students' enthusiasm for the profession, and a positive image and exposure for students and CET programs.In this paper, we discuss the results of this survey and some of the challenges to student participation in these non-credit activities at RIT, and present some suggestions for enhancing the level of student participation.

Characteristics of Authentic Construction Learning Experiences to Enable Accurate Consideration of Cost-effective Alternatives

“…The data analysis process was similar to other interview analysis protocols conducted in previously published engineering education research [33,34]. Learning outcomes reported in existing literature on experiential learning in AEC [10,[22][23][24][25][26]35,36] were used as framework to code the transcripts based on established learning outcomes expected from this mode of learning. Organizing the findings in this manner helped to associate known learning outcomes with the themes that emerged, highlighting potential characteristics of the experience that facilitated those outcomes.…”

“…In the limited existing literature that report learnings specifically from authentic activities, a number of learning gains have been attributed to them such as decision-making [21,22], collaboration [23][24][25], critical thinking [21,24] and leadership [25,26]. To enable such learning gains through the exploration of cost-effective alternatives there has been some research that suggests technologies like virtual models and the use of mock-up materials which significantly reduce the resources required to provide the learning expe-rience [13][14][15]27].…”

Building Inclusive Student Innovation Competitions, Exhibitions, and Training Programs

“…These studies are very macro, using experience introduction or narrative, and the conclusion is that ICETs positively affect participants. The educational benefits of ICETs can be summarized as follows: experiencing teamwork, peer interactions, and leadership (Bigelow et al, 2013); gaining self-efficacy and enthusiasm; working on real-world applications; accessing informal mentorship; and connecting with employers (Adorjan & Matturro, 2017;Buchal, 2004;Schuster et al, 2006;Sirianni et al, 2003); engaging students in further design activities that go beyond the curriculum; building entrepreneurial mindsets; providing practices for critical thinking skills; fostering innovation and creativity; providing valuable experience that lasts long; improving students' resumes and employability (Damnjanovic & Mijatovic, 2017;Shah et al, 2015;Sirianni et al, 2003).…”

The influence of engineering competition team participation on students' leadership identity development

“…"Historically, studies of organizations have tended to examine key issues like 'leadership' … as if their meaning were self-evident" (Collinson, 2003, p. 528), and the same observation can be made about leadership research within the field of engineering education. Much of the published literature regarding leadership and the ECT experience has relied on anecdotal evidence (Wankat, 2005), surveys (e.g., Barry et al, 2013;S anchez-Alejo et al, 2010;Sirianni et al, 2003), and cursory mentions of "leadership" as a benefit of participation (e.g., Sulzbach, 2007;Wankat, 2005) without a deeper examination of the concept. Participation is assumed to contribute to leadership development because the students engage in teamwork, set goals, run meetings, and manage the project.…”