Including Service Learning In The Environmental Engineering Research Project

Service learning provides a meaningful service to the community as well as a relevant learning experience for the student. The service done by the student is linked to course outcomes and enhances the learning experience that occurs in the classroom. Service learning was incorporated into the civil engineering curriculum at the University of Hartford in 1999 by adding a community sponsored environmental engineering research project. Semester long group projects on a relevant environmental topic typically include fieldwork, sample analysis, design and construction of laboratory bench scale tests, computer modeling, oral presentation, and written report. An important aspect of these studies is for the students to meet the sponsor so that they clearly understand how their results will benefit the community. This helps to reinforce the student’s appreciation for the importance of a life-long commitment to civic responsibility. Assessment tools used in evaluating service learning have been student surveys, informal feedback from project sponsors, and acceptance of abstracts at professional conferences. Overall feedback from students has been very good or excellent and project sponsors have been very satisfied with the outcome of the projects. One student group received an award from the Town of Manchester, CT stating their appreciation for the students’ work and several student groups have presented their results at professional conferences.