Integrating Research to the Undergraduate Geotechnical Engineering Classroom

An investigation was conducted to actively incorporate research activities into an introductory geotechnical engineering laboratory course. Students developed research programs of varying levels of sophistication as part of the laboratory course. Hands-on testing was emphasized and students were required to develop their own testing programs for demonstration of soil mechanics principles. Field experiments were encouraged and undertaken by some of the students. Laboratory experimental investigations and summaries of geotechnical construction methods were also undertaken by some of the students. The presentations of the research activities, test programs, and experimental results were completed in various formats including oral presentations to the class, poster presentations, and production of films. Separate activities have been conducted to incorporate research presentations by undergraduate and graduate research assistants to a geotechnical engineering laboratory course and included tours of advanced laboratories and field test sites as part of the course. These combined learning exercises are part of a broad investigation related to incorporation of unconventional learning styles to a geotechnical engineering laboratory course. Students have generally enjoyed the experiences and specific pedagogical benefits have been realized. An overview of the teaching methodology and assessment of student performance is described in the paper. Introduction A significant amount of literature is available supporting the benefits of having undergraduate students involved in research activities. Many of the previous experiences with undergraduates conducting research relate to highly structures programs, such as Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Programs sponsored by the National Science Foundation (e.g., Refs. 1, 2) Other similar devoted research efforts for groups of undergraduate students have been reported with funding from other sources, including an industry-sponsored program (e.g., Ref. 3) and a state-agency sponsored program (e.g., Ref. 4). These activities with devoted research programs are generally large in scope. Bringing research to the classroom also has been reported for K-12 classrooms (e.g., Refs. 5, 6). In addition, Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Programs (also sponsored by the National Science Foundation) have been widely reported (e.g., Refs. 7, 8). Several of the studies have involved bringing research activities directly into the curriculum (e.g., Refs. 9, 10, 11, 12). Most of these investigations appear to keep research as the focal point of the experience for the students. Sanford-Bernhardt and Roth reported multiple options for administratively promoting research activities for students. 9 Others have reported researchoriented capstone project experiences (e.g., Ref. 10). A lesser amount of research experiences for conventional lecture and/or laboratory courses has been reported (e.g., Refs. 11, 12), especially in civil engineering. When incorporated, students have reacted favorably to having curricular content that is not present in textbooks. The current investigation has aimed to integrate some aspects of research into a geotechnical engineering laboratory course with limited impact on the existing content of the course (i.e., maintaining emphasis on conventional geotechnical engineering testing). This experience is not intended to be production-level research, but instead an introduction to research methodology and perspective for undergraduate students. Various teaching methodologies have been incorporated to the introductory geotechnical engineering laboratory at California Polytechnic State University, a primarily undergraduate institution. The laboratory is a junior level course and is a required course for all civil engineering students at California Polytechnic State University. These activities have been undertaken over the past 4 years. An overview of the teaching methodologies, assessment of the activities, and recommendations for implementation are presented. Description of Teaching Methodologies The teaching methodologies employed to integrate research into the course are presented in Table 1. Details of each of the methodologies are presented in the table. Table 1. Teaching Methodologies