Session: 09-01-05: Curriculum Innovations, Pedagogy and Learning Methodologies, Globalization of Engineering and Engineering Accreditation

Paper Number: 146098

146098 - Enhancing Teaching Effectiveness and Student Engagement in Structural Engineering Through Integration of Risa Software: A Project-Based Pedagogy Approach 

This study investigates the effect of integrating RISA Software within a project-based pedagogy framework on teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes in a junior-level civil engineering structural analysis course. Over three consecutive years (2021-2023), the course was delivered to cohorts of 12-20 civil engineering students, employing various pedagogical approaches. Despite consistent teaching effectiveness ratings in the lecture section across the first two years (average 3 ± 0.2 out of 4), the lab section, where RISA Software was integrated, demonstrated a steady increase in teaching effectiveness from 3.09 to 3.32 for the first two years. Notably, in 2023, the introduction of project-based pedagogy resulted in an 11% improvement in teaching effectiveness in the lecture section and an impressive 27% increase in the lab section. Key findings suggest that the incorporation of RISA Software within a project-based pedagogical framework fosters enhanced teaching effectiveness, heightened student engagement, and a more profound understanding of structural engineering concepts. This research underscores the efficacy of integrating practical software tools with innovative teaching methodologies to optimize learning outcomes in complex engineering subjects.

Presenting Author: Robabeh Jazaei Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Jazaei joined SRU as an assistant professor of Civil Engineering. She earned her Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She worked as a professional engineer and project manager for many residential and commercial buildings while she was working on her M.S. degree in Structural Engineering at the Tehran Azad University. She received her Bachelor of Science from the Shahrood University of Technology in 2002.
Dr. Jazaei taught a variety of courses in both civil and mechanical engineering from introductory to design courses. She also served as an adviser for senior design projects and research teams. Dr. Jazaei’s extensive industrial background provides her students with an industrial approach to be prepared for an engineering career. Her student-centered pedagogy has a significant emphasis on project-based learning to foster students’ technical excellence and collaborative work experience.
Dr. Jazaei’s research interests have focused on broad range of experimental material characterization and computational simulation of advanced materials subject to statics and dynamics loading conditions. The overarching emphasis in Dr. Jazaie’s work has been to develop composites with multifunctional nanomaterials to improve composites’ failure mechanism for structural health monitoring as well as energy absorption enhancement. The multidisciplinary nature of Dr. Jazaei’s research creates a rich learning environment to involve several fields in engineering and science. She enjoys involving students who have a strong desire to learn about advanced materials characterization, failure and fracture mechanics, image processing (SEM), and computational modeling (FEM).

Dr. Jazaei is a voting member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Committee 241-A01 (The Application and Implementation of Nano-Engineered Concrete, member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME).

Authors:

Robabeh Jazaei Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Fatemeh Azari University of Pittsburgh