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Case study:
Multi-disciplinary Civil Engineering design (quarry)

Pedagogy/context

Subject area: Civil Engineering

LTSN Subject Centre: Engineering, Loughborough University, http://www.ltsneng.ac.uk [opens in a new window]

Applicability to other Subject Areas: Some crossover suitability to Geography

Ease of transferability of ideas to other Subject Areas: The concept of a multi-disciplinary feasibility study can be transferred to a number of different areas. Next year we intend to change the topic to one of a coastal electricity power station along similar lines to this year.

Level: This project is aimed at 4th-year Engineering students who already have the necessary engineering skills to carry out the study but who know next to nothing about the actual project topic (quarries).

Participants: There were 10 students involved for the 1st year we have run this project - 2 teams of 5. In each team were 3 Structural students and one each of Environmental & Maritime.

Independent study/group work: Suitable for group project work of a similar nature

Study mode: Full-time MEng students (4th-year)

Pedagogical approach: Problem-based learning

Teaching methods:
Initially: Lecture/seminars, field visits.
Later: Students work in own groups with staff support as requested. The students have to work effectively as a team for the project to work. In addition to learning about technical aspects of the project, students learn interpersonal communication skills, project control and management and team working.

Typical learning time: A notional period of 108 hours is allocated for this module.

Prior knowledge required: All students have passed through 3 years of a 4-year MEng course in either Structural Engineering, Maritime Civil Engineering or Environmental Civil Engineering.

Assessment: The project runs over a 10-week period. After 2 weeks, each group prepares a poster presentation of their initial scheme and an oral presentation. At the end of the project a full Group Report is submitted, which is assessed by all three academic supervisors. In addition a copy of both Final Reports have been sent out to the quarry managers of the two quarries visited and they have provided useful feedback about the viability of the two proposal schemes.

Evaluation: All coursework is evaluated by the Course Directors of the three MEng courses.

Prior experience: The project has run for this first year.

References: Students made extensive use of the quarterly journal "Quarry Management" during the project. In addition they made use of Internet information and the university library facilities.

Last updated: June 24, 2003