A knowledge and skills gap exists in the civil and construction engineering curricula in applying theoretical knowledge to practice and in extending this knowledge outside students' fields of study. In an attempt to address this issue in civil and construction engineering curricula, investigators at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (CPSLO) have developed a virtual Construction Industry Simulation (COINS) to supplement traditional classroom instructional delivery methods. COINS provides a virtual environment to immerse students in active learning by posing problems and situations that require them to engage in practical engineering problem solving. Through the implementation of COINS, engineering faculty will be able to enhance their instructional repertoire and gain confidence in employing new, effective instructional approaches. In so doing, they will be better equipped to meet the learning styles and needs of a broader range of students. Through COINS, students will learn how to communicate and overcome obstacles in a multidisciplinary team and they will gain valuable skills that are needed to transition to jobs in industry and to participate in advanced research projects.
The project has two primary objectives: (1) to develop an instructor's module for effective COINS implementation in lower division engineering courses at two- and four-year institutions of higher education and (2) to study the impact of COINS on student learning. The investigators seek to advance knowledge and understanding in the areas of project-based learning, multidisciplinary projects, undergraduate research, and teamwork by measuring the impact of COINS simulation on student learning, identifying effective implementation strategies, and developing materials to facilitate the use of COINS by faculty. This will increase access to the COINS approach so that more students will participate in project-based learning experiences using the COINS simulation thus enabling these students to experience true concurrent engineering through an integrated experience.
The project will be assessed using student work, interviews, focus groups, reflection exercises and observations. The expected outcomes are numerous; major contributions will be: introductory civil/construction engineering course content that will improve articulation between community colleges and four-year institutions; an online community of practice to facilitate sharing of ideas, solutions, and practices as well as providing feedback on instructional materials and methods; and improved student learning and capabilities in engineering problem solving, teamwork, and communication.
