THE ROLE OF EXPOSURE TO FAILURE CASE STUDIES ON STUDENTS' TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH: A MIXED METHOD APPROACH

摘要

A number of studies have assessed the value of including failure case studies in the civil engineering curriculum. While the value of exposure to failure case studies to students is well documented, their relative benefits on different aspects of the student (professional, technical, ethics, etc.) are not well documented. The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of including case studies in civil engineering and engineering mechanics courses on students' technical and professional development. The results, overall, confirm the value of including failure case studies in engineering courses. Student survey results show that they can help in attainment of all 11 ABET criterion 3 outcomes. ABET is the accrediting agency for engineering and technology. Statistical analysis of the survey results divided the 11 outcomes into 11 groups, technical development and professional development. Case studies can make strong contributions to both components. The impact is definitely affected by the type of course, and there also seemed to be a difference in impact between lower and upper division courses. This suggests that failure cases have greater impact after students have achieved a higher level of maturity and a stronger technical background. Work on this project is continuing with additional courses at the participating universities, and with additional university partners. This additional data will allow the researchers to investigate whether these patterns continue to hold.