Project-based learning in consecutive modules on geotechnics: foundations

Three conditions of effective learning have been reported: active learning by doing, cooperation and teamwork in learning and learning through problem solving, essential to promote creativity and innovative capacity. Project-based learning can help to promote such skills in engineering programs as it allows recreating professional reality and relating fundamental theories and skills of an engineer. High-level thinking and sound judgment is developed through accumulated authentic professional experience by engineers. For engineering students a similar process can be triggered by a teaching environment which enables simulating and stimulating such skills. To prepare better professional and enhance students' employability Civil Engineering students of University of Aveiro, Portugal, have undertaken several modules on Geotechnics where a project based learning model has been used. These group projects included open-ended realistic scenarios tackled using different tools (spread-sheets and software). This paper refers to a module on Foundations. A collaborative project-based learning model was implemented. Students' perceptions on the added value of the project were collected using a questionnaire and are discussed. Most students had attended two modules on Soil Mechanics where a similar learning model was used, but initially they had negative reactions to it. Students report a severe workload; however their estimates match the expected working hours. The model has been evolving in order to optimise the learning and address the students’ feedback