Integration of new teaching methodologies into a laboratory based course

Laboratory experiments help students physically apply concepts proposed in lecture toward actual applications. With the involvement of senior civil engineering students, a Construction Materials Course has been restructured at Gonzaga University. This paper will illustrate how the newly designed course will enhance student learning in the Department of Civil Engineering at Gonzaga University within the Structural/Construction field. The new course will train students in the use of construction materials through lectures, site visits, literature research, and conducting experiments in the laboratory. With the addition of experimental procedures, students will respond better to the lectures, retaining more knowledge of concepts than in a traditional course setting. The course will also service other programs and be better integrated within the engineering curriculum, while emphasizing both technical and communication skills. This course differs from traditional laboratory classes, due to the fact that the students experience the highest level of active learning based on their responsibility to conduct a portion of the laboratory with minimal supervision. This paper is of interest to those who desire introducing a new course based on traditional teaching methodologies, complemented with nontraditional components, such as site visits, library literature research, and experiment design and performance.