AN INTEGRATIVE FIRST AN INTEGRATIVE FIRST YEAR CIVIL YEAR CIVIL

ENGINEERING COURSEENGINEERING COURSE

« « Initiation à la pratique Initiation à la pratique professionnelle »professionnelle »

Kenneth JohnsKenneth JohnsUniversité de Sherbrooke, Québec, CanadaUniversité de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada

Common curriculum reform Common curriculum reform goals:goals:

Increase perseveranceIncrease perseverance Build-in professionalism, its ethos Build-in professionalism, its ethos

and valuesand values Integrate learningsIntegrate learnings Include transverse or “soft” skills, Include transverse or “soft” skills,

including teamworkincluding teamwork Apply theory immediately or learn-Apply theory immediately or learn-

while-doing (e.g. PBL)while-doing (e.g. PBL) Contextualise learningContextualise learning

Our contextOur context(Québec)(Québec)

CEGEP CEGEP system; two “college”  years system; two “college”  years after american-style high schoolafter american-style high school

(similar to (similar to Bacc InternationalBacc International))

Co-op or “sandwich” programCo-op or “sandwich” program

High admission standardsHigh admission standards

Some particularities of Civil Some particularities of Civil Engineering:Engineering:

Often done outdoors!Often done outdoors! Infrastructures, rather than productsInfrastructures, rather than products Fractioned Construction industryFractioned Construction industry Projects under contract; adversarial relationshipsProjects under contract; adversarial relationships Design practicesDesign practices Relationship to Environment and to International Relationship to Environment and to International

DevelopmentDevelopment

Student needs and doubtsStudent needs and doubts

Have I made the right choice?Have I made the right choice? What What is is Civil Engineering anyway?!!Civil Engineering anyway?!! If I do stick with this,If I do stick with this,

• Who will I work for?Who will I work for?• Where will I work?Where will I work?• What are my opportunities?What are my opportunities?• Will this work be compatible with my Will this work be compatible with my

values?values? Will this be worth a big part of my Will this be worth a big part of my

life?life?

InductionInduction

Induction is the successful transition Induction is the successful transition into universityinto university

Good Practice:Good Practice: Good mix of challenge and Good mix of challenge and

reassurancereassurance Group activitiesGroup activities Activities integrated into the Activities integrated into the

academic programacademic program

Initiation à la pratique professionnelle Initiation à la pratique professionnelle (IPP)(IPP)

GOALS:GOALS: Present, make this career realPresent, make this career real Prepare for first work placementPrepare for first work placement Begin work on student’s personal Begin work on student’s personal

goalsgoals Contextualise learnings from other Contextualise learnings from other

courses, andcourses, and Include development of Teamwork Include development of Teamwork

and Communication skillsand Communication skills

IPP 1IPP 1Career preparationCareer preparation

6 former students present their 6 former students present their careers thus farcareers thus far

Men, women Men, women Public and private sector Public and private sector Small and large firmsSmall and large firms Outdoors and indoorsOutdoors and indoors DesignDesign ManagementManagement

IPP 2IPP 2History (!)History (!)

A history of building materials and A history of building materials and technologiestechnologies

Masonry, wood, iron and steel, Masonry, wood, iron and steel, concrete, tensile materialsconcrete, tensile materials

Who was doing “our” jobWho was doing “our” job

Impacts on societyImpacts on society

IPP 3IPP 3Writing exercisesWriting exercises

Which visitor was most inspiring as a Which visitor was most inspiring as a model for you?model for you?

Work placement crisis scenarioWork placement crisis scenario A private testing contract possibility: A private testing contract possibility:

• bid, bid, • contract details contract details • claim for extra paymentclaim for extra payment

A note to your bossA note to your boss

IPP 4IPP 4Technical reportTechnical report

Recent examples:Recent examples:• Hong Kong AirportHong Kong Airport• The Roman Road systemThe Roman Road system• EurotunnelEurotunnel• Suez CanalSuez Canal

Content:Content:• project planning and budget, project planning and budget, • politics, politics, • execution, execution, • impacts, andimpacts, and• a student-chosen major Themea student-chosen major Theme

IPP 4IPP 4Report cont’dReport cont’d

Objectives:Objectives:• Technical report writingTechnical report writing• Oral presentationOral presentation• Teamwork, andTeamwork, and• What civil engineers deal withWhat civil engineers deal with

IPP 4 IPP 4 Report cont’d Report cont’d

• done in teams of four, imposed by done in teams of four, imposed by staffstaff

• Myers-Briggs is used Myers-Briggs is used • day of intentional team-building day of intentional team-building

gamesgames

The report is in a formal, realistic The report is in a formal, realistic technical format and is technical format and is presented 6 months later to a presented 6 months later to a jury of academic staffjury of academic staff

IPP 5IPP 5Job Site Vocabulary Job Site Vocabulary

What is that half-buried concrete What is that half-buried concrete thing?thing?

Where and how do they make that big Where and how do they make that big steel girder?steel girder?

What is that big piece of equipment?What is that big piece of equipment?

IPP 6IPP 6Construction managementConstruction management

Who’s who on the job site?Who’s who on the job site?

Who are they paid by?Who are they paid by?

What are their responsibilities and What are their responsibilities and concerns?concerns?

To whom may I speak?To whom may I speak?

IPP 7IPP 7EthicsEthics

What kind of situation can develop?What kind of situation can develop?

What are the issues?What are the issues?

How will I decide what to do?How will I decide what to do?

Minimal theoretical notionsMinimal theoretical notions

IPP 8IPP 8Life-cycle analysisLife-cycle analysis

Life cycle concepts and costLife cycle concepts and cost

““Green” buildingGreen” building

Environmental stewardship and Environmental stewardship and engineeringengineering

IPPIPPTo Sum UpTo Sum Up

Involves the Involves the precociousprecocious presentation presentation of subjects usually seen much later!of subjects usually seen much later!

EncouragesEncourages:: Eyes to be opened, awarenessEyes to be opened, awareness AHA! InsightsAHA! Insights MotivationMotivation ““Mature” learners.Mature” learners.

Impact of IPP Impact of IPP andand our reform our reformDrop-out ratesDrop-out rates

Intake groups Intake groups followed followed longitudinallylongitudinally

After first After first 12 months 12 months (original (original cohorts)cohorts)

After 5 years After 5 years (all (all participants)participants)

BEFORE reformBEFORE reform

(1989-1998)(1989-1998)21.1 %21.1 % 32.8 %32.8 %

SINCE reformSINCE reform

(1999-2004)(1999-2004)6.3 %6.3 % 9.5 %9.5 %

Comments about IPPComments about IPP

“ “ It definitely helped me understand It definitely helped me understand what Civil Engineering is all about”what Civil Engineering is all about”

““It made sense of other subjects”It made sense of other subjects”

““It made me glad I chose Civil It made me glad I chose Civil Engineering”Engineering”

Some survey scoresSome survey scores

Score: 8.4 on 10 for: Score: 8.4 on 10 for: ““This course fostered a sense of This course fostered a sense of

belonging to the programme, the belonging to the programme, the department and the profession”department and the profession”

Score: 8.9 on 10 for:Score: 8.9 on 10 for:““It made real and visible my career It made real and visible my career

possibilities in Civil engineering, and possibilities in Civil engineering, and helped me begin thinking about my helped me begin thinking about my professional future”professional future”

ConclusionsConclusions

Most or all of the Department’s Most or all of the Department’s objectives are met, for most of the objectives are met, for most of the studentsstudents

Retention and motivation of the Retention and motivation of the students is very highstudents is very high

A comment we hear from staff, A comment we hear from staff, and former studentsand former students

““I wish I had been I wish I had been offered a course like offered a course like

this when I was a this when I was a student!”student!”

Merci!Merci!

Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, CanadaUniversité de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada