Integrating Multiple Disciplines in an Environmental Engineering Curriculum with Field Excercises

拟议的项目将发展实地练习，将科学和工程的多学科因素纳入低年级和高年级环境工程课程。实地练习将在环境工程和科学领域的实践专业人员的投入下开发和实施。该项目的目标是为本科生提供在真实环境中模拟现实世界问题的整个环境工程选项的经验。这些练习的目的是：1.)激发学生对实际问题的兴趣和知识，2.)培养学生综合不同学科信息的能力，3.)培养学生独立寻找信息和资源的信心，4.)提供将科学技术应用于实际问题的机会，5.)激励学生有效地在小组中工作，6.)提高沟通技巧。实地练习将主要在环境工程课程的入门课程中进行。本科生将在其学术生涯的早期接触到实际的环境项目和问题，以激发兴趣和热情，这是招聘和留住学生的两个关键因素。两门低年级课程，“环境工程师的水生化学”和“环境生物技术”，以及学生的第一门高年级环境工程课程，“环境工程与水资源导论”，已经成为这里提出的八个实地项目中的五个。其余的练习将在高年级、分析和设计选修课中进行。虽然个别项目是针对具体地点的，但这些练习很容易被其他本科院校调整到其他地点。这些实地练习的有效性将由教师、参与项目的环境专业人员和学生进行评估。该项目将为本科生提供独特的体验，旨在激发他们对环境工程和科学的兴趣，并为专业实践提供无与伦比的准备。

The proposed project will develop field exercises to integrate multidisciplinary elements of science and engineering in lower and upper division environmental engineering courses. The field exercises will be developed and implemented with the input of practicing professionals in the field of environmental engineering and science. The goal of the project is to provide experiences throughout the environmental engineering option for undergraduate students that imitate real-world problems in an authentic setting. These exercises will be designed to 1.) stimulate student interest and knowledge in real problems, 2.) develop the ability to synthesize information from different disciplines, 3.) impart confidence to find information and resources independently, 4.) provide opportunities to apply science and technology to practical problems, 5.) motivate students to work effectively in a group, and 6.) improve communication skills. The field exercises will be implemented primarily in the introductory courses of the environmental engineering curriculum. Undergraduates will be exposed early in their academic careers to actual environmental projects and problems so as to stimulate interest and enthusiasm, two elements critical for recruitment and retention. Two lower division courses, "Aquatic Chemistry for Environmental Engineers" and "Environmental Biotechnology", and the students' first upper division environmental engineering course, "Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Water Resources", have been targeted for five of eight field projects proposed here. The remaining exercises will be implemented in upper division, analysis and design electives. While the individual projects are site specific, the exercises are readily adaptable to other locations by other undergraduate institutions. The effectiveness of these field exercises will be evaluated by faculty, environmental professionals participating in the project, and the student s. The project will provide undergraduates with a unique experience designed to stimulate interest in environmental engineering and science and provide an unmatched preparation for professional practice.