Introducing Earthquake Engineering through Simultaneous In- Class and Webcast Lectures, and International Expedition to a Megapolis at Seismic Risk

摘要

As part of an effort to integrate international experience in the Civil Engineering curriculum at Purdue University, in Spring 2008 semester, an earthquake engineering course that incorporated a 10-day study-abroad experience to Istanbul, Turkey was offered. The program scope, while having structural engineering perspective at its core, included a range of earthquake related topics such as geology, seismology, and architecture. This approach not only fulfilled the overall objective of the program as stated in the description by IAESTE, the organization that co-managed the program along with Purdue University Global Engineering Program and the School of Civil Engineering, but also attracted students nationwide to attend the Earthquake Engineering Program (17 from Purdue University and four from four other universities) from a wide range of earthquake related fields including civil, mechanical, mining and mineral, and geophysical engineering. The group had three sophomore, ten junior, six senior, and two graduate (doctoral) level students. Through distance virtual learning technology, students from all institutions were able to participate in real-time semester-long classroom meetings before and after the actual study-abroad experience in Turkey. Initial data suggests that students achieved high learning outcomes and enjoyed a very positive learning experience throughout the course. Data regarding student learning outcomes were collected and used to assess the efficiency of the distance-learning (virtual classroom lectures) and experiential learning (study-abroad program) pedagogical methods. This paper describes these two pedagogical methods, and, in particular, explores the impact of experiential learning on students’ benefit from the program. It further discusses the program logistics in light of international institutional partnerships and cost-benefit analysis as relates to the expected student learning outcomes. The course, titled "Earthquake Engineering/Istanbul at the Threshold", has been deemed successful. It is hoped that it could be offered in a similar format in Spring 2010.