Transforming a Civil Engineering Curriculum through GIS Integration

该项目的目标是将支持地理信息系统的设计方法整合到六门土木工程必修课的序列中。协作发展模式确保课程之间的联系是明确的，并在编写的材料中阐明了学生在技术能力、数据合成和分析以及解决问题方面的技能进步的明确途径。通过使用这些材料，学生正在提高使用地理信息系统平台在多个背景下分析工程问题的能力。此外，该项目正在为关键的跨学科主题建立一种新的课程灌输模式，并实现可持续的课程改革。它还通过使用可视化软件作为完全整合和基于项目的协作学习方法的平台，促进提高学生对核心内容和工程决策能力的理解的知识体系。它正在确定课程改革方面的最佳做法，以实现不仅在技术内容方面，而且在社会和全球范围内提高学生技能水平的目标。该项目建立在一个现有的项目(女孩体验工程)的基础上，以吸引K-12教师和初中生。其他传播努力包括会议和期刊论文以及教师研讨会。在独立校园中心的指导下，项目评估使用能力评估和问卷调查来监控新材料对学生知识、技能和信念的影响。更广泛的影响包括传播教学材料、教员讲习班以及对K-12女学生和教师的宣传。

The goal of the project is to integrate a GIS-enabled design approach across a sequence of six required civil engineering courses. A collaborative development model is ensuring that curricular links between the courses are explicit and that a clear path for student skills progression in terms of technical competency, data synthesis and analysis, and problem solving is articulated in the developed materials. Through the use of these materials, students are developing an improved ability to analyze engineering problems in multiple contexts using a GIS platform. Furthermore, the project is leading to a new curriculum infusion model for critical cross-disciplinary topics and a sustainable curriculum transformation. It is also contributing to the body of knowledge on improving student understanding of core content and engineering decision-making abilities through the use of visualization software as the platform for a completely integrated and project-based, collaborative approach to learning. It is identifying best practices in terms of curriculum transformation to achieve the goal of enhanced student skill level not only in technical content, but also in societal and global context. The project is building on an existing program (Girls Experiencing Engineering) to engage K-12 teachers and middle and high school students. Other dissemination efforts include conference and journal papers and faculty workshops. Project evaluation, under the direction of a independent campus center, is using competency assessments and questionnaires to monitor the impact of the new material on the students knowledge, skills, and beliefs. Broader impacts include the dissemination of the instructional material, the faculty workshops, and the outreach to female K-12 students and teachers.