Integrating Catamount Community Service-

Learning Projects within Civil and Environmental Engineering Programs at

the UVM

Hayden, N.J., M. Neumann, D.M. Rizzo, M. Dewoolkar, A. Sadek

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Education at University of Vermont

Acknowledgements

• National Science Foundation (Initial planning grant and recent Implementation grant)

• Local catamount communities and groups

• CUPS

• Implement an educational framework that shifts from addressing problems in isolation to one that adopts a systems approach.

• Integrated approach incorporated not only to problem solving but the problem definition as well.

Overall Reform Goal

Systems Thinking Framework

• Considers relationships in problem definition/solution

• Curricular changes; 1st year Intro course, Geomatics, Water and Wastewater, Senior capstone course, Prof/Design electives

• Sequence of three new systems courses (repackaged from Intro to Environmental Engineering, Transportation, and Engineering Economics and Analysis. New courses:

Environmental/Transportation SystemsDecision Analysis in the Environment and TransportationModeling Environmental and Transportation Systems

Catamount Communities

• Service-learning projects integrated into many courses starting in the first year of our programs.

• Building a long-term relationship with towns.

Service-Learning

• Strategy and a method for incorporating systems thinking

• Equal emphasis on service to the community or community group and learning

• Academic, civic engagement, and personal goals

• Critical Reflection

Service-Learning Training

• Faculty fellows program

• Seminars and workshops

• Reading and discussing

• Just Do It!

Community of Learners

Catamount Community Projects

Integrating programmatic themes (Systems Analysis, IT, IBL) and

P/I skills in the curricula• Systems approach and faculty teamwork• Faculty training workshops (e.g. education, case

studies, teamwork, systems)• Course content reform (e.g. CE 3, CE 10, new

Systems sequence co-taught by faculty, service-learning)

• Inquiry-based learning (introducing in many existing courses - helps meet ABET criterion)

• Laboratory reform (geotech, env, transportation)• Undergraduate research experiences

Evaluation and Assessment

• Working with education colleagues at UVM, MSU and consulting firm.

• Formative and summative components of both faculty teaching and student learning and attitudes. Document the project’s activities, identify successful components and necessary modifications to develop strategies for improvement (formative). Summative assessment examines the project’s effectiveness in meeting its goals.

• Various quantitative and qualitative components related to the project objectives and goals to measure the effectiveness of the changes on student learning.