First-year civil engineering student Jake Barnstorf stands at the top of a rolling ladder with a rubber mallet in his hand. He’s in the middle of the High Bay Lab at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), fringed by sunlight. Next to him is a large plastic column filled with water and filtration material that stands half the height of the large space.
He pulls back with the mallet, then slams the side of the tube.
Wham.
With each strike, the thick layer of granular material loosens and water begins to move through the system. At the base of the ladder, fellow students trace a series of water hoses and valves to where the water empties into a large bin.
Wham. Wham. Wham.
The activity is part of the redesigned Introduction to Civil Engineering course, which shifted from a lecture format to a more hands-on experience, and is part of the Swenson Active and Innovative Learning (SAIL) program.
“One of the big goals was to develop camaraderie among freshmen,” said Nate Johnson, PhD, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. “Another objective was to expose them to the design process so that they could use that and be familiar with it as they go through their classes later in the curriculum.”
Barnstorf, who plans to become a structural engineer and design commercial buildings, enjoyed the hands-on activity—his first introduction to civil engineering at UMD.
“It was a fun way to understand what we might be doing as a career,” he said. “I wasn’t aware of the three major principles we have to follow as engineers: how our projects will impact society, the economy, and the environment. It was nice to learn about that as it’s so important.”
Students in the course were divided into two groups. One was tasked with removing magnesium and calcium from 40 gallons of water, and the other was tasked with drafting designs for a concrete bridge capable of withstanding a load of 5,000 pounds. After the design process, the groups switched projects and constructed the designs of the other group. They started with small scale experiments to test their calculations before implementing the designs at full scale in the High Bay Lab.
By exposing the students to the design and construction process early in their studies, Johnson hopes to “point them to the prize and help them appreciate why they should pay attention in their basic math and physics prerequisite classes.”
It’s a new approach to an introductory course, and it seems to be making an impact on these first-year students. This semester, Johnson said he’s noticed more freshmen students hanging around the civil engineering department, and an increased interest in student clubs.
“For me, that's encouraging to think that we're making a difference in how these students are experiencing their first year here,” he said, “and hopefully inspiring them to continue with engineering.”
This class experience is part of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering’s SAIL program (Swenson Active and Innovative Learning), which aims to engage students in learning beyond the traditional classroom setting.
Header image caption: First-year civil engineering student Jake Barnstorf works on a water filtration project in the High Bay Lab.