Active learning as a methodology for motivating team work in large civil engineering classes

The renovation of teaching methodologies is leading to shifting perceptions of roles and responsibilities of both teachers and students concerning the way traditional and new materials are presented and learnt. While teachers strive to be creative and flexible and provide students with practical means for “self-teaching”, students recognise the need for more responsibility and discipline. This paper describes a methodology for managing and motivating independent group work for students taking the Environmental Impact Assessment course included in the Civil Engineering programme at the University of Minho, either as a requirement or an elective. Though not agreeing on the overall level of difficulty of the course, the students were encouraged to complete their project assignments based on the critical analysis of real projects subject to EIA. The results indicate a significant move towards innovative approaches for motivating large classes of engineering students in a transdisciplinary context, through collaborative learning activities