The Targeted Infusion Project - Incorporation of Sustainability Concepts into the Undergraduate Civil Engineering Curriculum Using Project-Based Learning - at North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T) has the objective to enhance civil engineering students' knowledge about sustainability and its implications by incorporating concepts on sustainability into the undergraduate curriculum using a project-based learning approach. The specific objectives of the project are to create instructional materials related to sustainable development, to incorporate the contents into a three-course sequence in the civil engineering curriculum for undergraduates, and to evaluate the impact of this intervention on students' learning outcomes.
This project incorporates concepts on sustainability into the undergraduate curriculum by creating a three-course sequence from existing courses in the civil engineering curriculum while transforming these courses from lecture-based to project-based. To successfully introduce topics related to sustainability, theoretical concepts and hands-on projects will be implemented simultaneously. In this study transportation was selected because of the comprehensive, broad and tangible nature of the transportation field as well as the significant implications of sustainability in the transportation sector. Based on the theory of constructivism (a theory of learning which states that by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world), transportation was deemed to be appropriate due to the daily interaction and personal experiences of students with aspects of transportation systems. As a result of the implementation of this intervention, students will be able to understand the basic philosophy and the importance of incorporating concepts on sustainability into their activities in future design, construction and maintenance.
