Integrating Professional and Technical Engineering Skills with the EFFECTs Pedagogical Framework

摘要

This paper describes the Environments for Fostering Effective Critical Thinking (EFFECTs) pedagogical framework that has been developed and implemented across the civil and environmental engineering curriculum at the University of South Carolina. Thirteen unique EFFECTs have been created to date, impacting seven different courses. This instructional approach has been used in courses at all undergraduate levels, from first-year introduction courses to upper division elective courses. The cumulative application of EFFECTs facilitates the integration of technical and professional skills to meet programmatic student outcomes. This paper provides a map of the ABET and ASCE student outcomes that are addressed with EFFECTs, with appropriate examples from different EFFECTs modules. In terms of professional student outcomes, the EFFECTs framework is designed to enhance student communication skills, teamwork, and knowledge of contemporary issues. In addition to these three core outcomes, each EFFECT can incorporate other professional skills, depending on the nature and content of that particular EFFECT. The implementation of EFFECTs has reached a point where most, but not all, upper division students (seniors) have been exposed to the EFFECT approach at least once during their academic program. Survey results on student self-perceptions of professional skill development are reported in this paper. Based on those findings, teamwork is the highest rated outcome. Professional skill development was also found to improve significantly when students are exposed to EFFECTs in more than one course.