Proposals for upgrading the teaching of geotechnical courses

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to prepare proposals resulting from questionnaire research, in which both undergraduate students took part in the course "Soil Mechanics Laboratory" of the Department of Civil Engineering (Academic Year 2018-2019) and Forestry Department (A.Y. 2002-2003) and postgraduate students in the courses "Advanced Geotechnics-Simulations" and "Road Infrastructure Harmonization in the Environment" of the Postgraduate Studies Programme "Advanced Environmental Management Technologies in Engineering Works" of the General Department of Larissa of the University of Thessaly, with the ultimate goal of upgrading and modernizing the teaching of the above and similar courses. The general purpose of teaching in geotechnical courses is that students acquire knowledge necessary for the design and construction of geotechnical projects, in collaboration with other civil engineering specialties. The research of the teaching strategy concerns about the design of the questionnaires in conjunction with the objectives of the course. According to the curriculum, geotechnical courses aim to enable students to apply the methodologies for calculating the physical characteristics and the mechanical properties of the soil. Finally, the responses of the undergraduate and postgraduate students were evaluated, and useful conclusions emerged, which can positively contribute to the qualitative upgrading and the modernization of the teaching process of the above courses.