1 THE CHALLENGE FOR GEOTECHNICAL EDUCATION TODAY

One of the many challenges facing students studying geotechnical engineering is the apparent diversity and multiplicity of concepts, procedures and empiri-cism that exist within the subject. The student be-comes overwhelmed and can end up throwing in the towel in frustration. In geotechnical engineering, learning is not a linear process as it can be in sub-jects like structural design or structural analysis. The skills for the latter can be acquired by a diligent student practicing the techniques. This is not neces-sarily the case in geotechnics where nature plays such an important role in determining the engineer-ing behaviour of soils. However, in reality, there are relatively few key concepts that form the backbone of the whole discipline e.g. effective stress, consoli