Moving towards global competency for engineering students through travel and classroom lectures

Abstract

This paper will cover the ideas and concepts presented to first year civil engineering students through classroom lecture combined with onsite international field study. This paper will allow a case study to be presented that will outline the basis for increasing global awareness of first year civil engineering students by exposing them to more than just simple classroom instruction and textbook reading. In order to create a well-rounded civil engineer, educators and academic institutions will have a need to tie together classroom lecture and global competency through international field study, creating a viable global civil engineering student model. For example, Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, Utah, avidly supports a classroom culture that contains international implications as demonstrated by the acceptance of society level engineering organizations. By combining engineering lecture topics such as The Hoover Dam, nuclear science, and The Colorado River Bridge with actual onsite field study, a distinct connection will be made between the technical subject and reality. Salt lake Community College students have educational requirements to be completed as dictated by their Engineering Department. During engineering courses such as "Special Topics in Engineering" and "Civil Engineering Design," each student is exposed to an endless number of engineering subjects. Each student will then be presented with the possibility to field visit a few select specific topics discussed during these required classroom lectures. Civil Engineering Students have already had the opportunity to visit The Hoover Dam and The Colorado River Bridge. Salt lake Community College Civil Engineering students have visited and received a personalized tour of a TRIGA Nuclear Reactor present on the University of Utah campus. The growth and future outlook of international field study is increased with the possibility of visiting a global engineering sites such as the Panama Canal. Allowing students to validate their educational experience with the combination of classroom lecture and onsite international field study will produce a civil engineering student who will not only increase their global competency and awareness, but they will foster passion for their future professional career. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.