The new module was introduced from Intake 2020 onwards as an open-ended, holistic project, where the fresh Civil Engineering undergraduates in Semesters 2 and 3 are exposed to student-centered learning on basic design concepts at an early stage of the course. The module was designed as a fun learning exercise for the students, where they are free to make mistakes and learn from them.
In fact, the module covered a selection of a Civil Engineering problem as a group, proposing a viable solution, conducting feasibility analyses, coming up with a conceptual design, presenting the outcomes as a poster, an oral presentation, and finally, constructing a physical prototype model.
The physical models were tested during the External Examiner’s visit to the Department, where the students were allowed to closely observe and identify the failure modes with the reasons behind the respective failures, and to come up with possible preventive/mitigation measures.
The External Examiner, Professor Campbell Middleton actively participated in the entire event, sharing his invaluable insights, knowledge, and experience with the undergraduate students and the staff.
