ADDRESSING STUDENT OUTCOMES ON ENGINEERING the practice of civil engineering, (c) ability to recognize,

PROBLEM SOLVING USING MODERN TOOLS IN AN APLLIED formulate, and solve civil engineering problems.
PROGRAMMING COURSE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
The Teaching and Learning Strategy
Andres Winston C. Oreta*
The programming language used in the course by the author has
Department of Civil Engineering,
evolved from Turbo Pascal in 1995 to C++ in 2000 and Visual
De La Salle University,
Basic since 2006. The syllabus was also revised using
2401 Taft Ave., Manila, Philippines
outcomes-based framework since 2010. To achieve the course
*andres.oreta@dlsu.edu.ph
learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities (TLAs) must
be designed so that the students are engaged in the learning
Introduction
process. TLAs must also address the different levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy of cognitive thinking – the lower level thinking skills
The demand for engineering schools to address student
(remembering, understanding and applying) and the higher level
outcomes of engineering programs as a requirement for
thinking skills (analyzing, evaluating and creating). The challenge
accreditation (e.g. Accreditation Board for Engineering and
to educators according to Biggs and Tang [1999] is addressing
Technology or ABET or Washington Accord) requires innovative
the “full range” of higher levels of cognitive skills resulting to a
approaches and strategies in designing the curriculum. With the
“deep approach” in learning. An “active learning” approach where
rapid development of fast, powerful and affordable
students “learn by doing” was adopted. The TLAs consist of (a)
microcomputers and the internet, engineering educators, now,
Lectures and Tutorials, (b) Hands-on Exercises and (c) Computer
have options to introduce innovations in the teaching-learning
Projects.
process. How can computer technology be used effectively in the
classroom to enhance the understanding of engineering At the start of the term, lectures and online tutorials are
concepts? How can the students’ interest be increased and how conducted to introduce the students to the fundamentals of
can learning be made as a fun activity through the use of Object Oriented Programming using Visual BASIC (VB). After the
computers? introductory lecture at the first meeting, students learned VB by
themselves in the succeeding meetings. Hands-on programming
There are various strategies where computer technology exercises are scheduled every class meeting. Hands-on
(hardware, software and the internet) can be integrated in the exercises are practice sessions for the students to learn the
curriculum to enhance the teaching and learning process. Among fundamentals of VB. Each exercise illustrates a basic feature of
these strategies are the use of computer-based exams, virtual VB which the student will use later in the writing of application
laboratory, online lectures and tutorials, specialized software and programs.
web-based resources. Software development using a
After learning the basic syntax of VB from the assigned hands-on
programming language is another avenue where the student
exercises, students are required to develop application programs
outcomes in engineering can be addressed. Computer
or computer projects to demonstrate their proficiency in VB
programming has a technological part and a creative part
programming and their ability to integrate knowledge in
[Martinez et al 2011]] and the process involves various levels of
mathematics, physical sciences, and engineering sciences in
thinking skills.
solving basic civil engineering applications through software
development.
This paper describes an applied programming course
(CIVCOMP) in civil engineering (CE) which is offered at De La Problem-Based Learning using VB Programing
Salle University (DLSU), Manila for third year students. The
In this course, the problem is to develop VB software application
course is designed following an outcomes-based framework
for solving basic civil engineering problems. There are three
where the content, teaching and learning activities and
computer projects required; the degree of difficulty increases as
assessment methods are aligned with specific student outcomes.
they learn more VB syntax, commands and functions. The
The main feature of the course delivery is the used of Problem-
student identifies the solution by researching or recalling the
Based Learning (PBL) wherein students developed simple
concepts learned in basic and advanced mathematics,
application software in engineering mechanics, structural
engineering sciences and basic civil engineering courses. The
analysis, mechanics of deformable bodies, fluid mechanics,
course is conducted after the third year level. Hence, the civil
hydraulics, surveying and other third year level CE related
engineering-related programming problems are limited to basic
courses using Visual Basic as the programming language. The
courses in fluid mechanics, engineering mechanics mechanics of
developed application software demonstrates the achievement of
deformable bodies, structural analysis, surveying and hydraulics.
following student outcomes: (a) an ability to apply knowledge of
mathematics, physical sciences, engineering sciences to the In Problem-Based Learning (PBL), only the objectives, given
practice of civil engineering, (b) an ability to use the appropriate inputs and required outputs of the program are given and the
techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for students must conduct independent research to create VB
program to solve the problem. In PBL, the students are expected
to do the following: (a) review the theory, (b) derive and apply
equations, (c) use an appropriate numerical method if necessary,
(c) formulate an algorithm, (d) design a VB graphic user’s
interface (GUI) which will accept input data and display the
output, (e) write VB programs using the correct syntax, (f)
execute and debug the program, and (g) check the correctness
of the results of the program. Through the computer projects,
students demonstrate their creativity and integrate concepts,
methods and skills learned from previous courses in
mathematics, basic engineering and specialized civil engineering.
roots of a nonlinear equation. VB control statements are
extensively used in this program since there are options on units
and the shape of the channel.
Figure 4 is an unsymmetrical bending stress calculator which
solves the bending stress at any point of the cross-section for
various shapes. Advanced Visual Basic objects such as vertical
and horizontal scroll are used in this program.

Software Applications in Civil Engineering

The students’ projects in this course are simple visual basic
software applications related to civil engineering courses in the
third year level. Examples of these application software are
deflection and elastic stress on beams, open-channel flow and
unsymmetrical bending. The following figures show examples of
the GUI and descriptions of the programs of the students in the
past years when Visual Basic was introduced in the course.
Figure 1 solves the elastic deflection of a cantilever beam, a
problem in Mechanics of Deformable Bodies. The inputs to the
program are the cross-section dimension and properties of the T-
section and the beam loadings and lengths. At a specified
section X from the left end, slope, deflection and moments are
computed.
Figure 2. Purlin Section Analyzer (2008)

Figure 3. Normal Depth of an Open Channel (2010)

Figure 1. Elastic Deflection of a cantilever beam (2007)

Figure 2 is an advanced mechanics of deformable bodies

problem on unsymmetrical bending of beams. The maximum
bending moment and stresses of a purlin given the cross-section
and loads are determined.

Figure 3 which is a Hydraulics problem determines the normal

depth of an open channel of various shapes (rectangle, triangle
and trapezoidal). The solution to this problem requires solving

Figure 4. Unsymmetrical Bending Stress Calculator (2012)
Indirect Assessment of Learning
A student evaluation in the form of a survey is conducted at the
end of the course to get feedback from the students about their
learning experience. Shown in Box No. 1 are the results of one
survey. The first two questions show that after completing the
course, the students’ proficiency on object oriented programming
using VB has increased (“Poor” responses in A changed from
38% to zero, while the “Good” responses in B changed from
15% to 54%). Positive feedback by adding the “Agree” and
“Strongly Agree” responses were obtained in the other questions
on the hands-on exercises (C: 70%), application of previous
knowledge (D: 92%) and developing analytical skills (E: 77%).
Box No. 1. End-of-Course Evaluation Survey
A. Before you enrolled in CIVCOMP, rate your ability on object
oriented programming using Visual Basic 6?
(1) Poor=38%, (2) Fair=23%, (3) Ave=23%, (4) Good=15%, (5)
Excellent=0%
B. After taking up CIVCOMP, rate your ability on object oriented
programming using Visual Basic 6?
(1) Poor=0%, (2) Fair=23%, (3) Ave=23%, (4) Good=54%, (5)
Excellent=0%
C .The examples and hands-on exercises are effective in learning and
understanding the use of Visual Basic syntax, objects, controls and
commands in developing an application software.
(1) Strongly Disagree=0%, (2) Disagree=15%, (3) Neutral=15%, (4)
Agree=62%, (5) Strongly Agree=8%
D. Developing a software application (project) enhanced my ability to
apply knowledge of mathematics, physical and engineering sciences
in solving basic civil engineering problems.
(1) Strongly Disagree=0%, (2) Disagree=0%, (3) Neutral=8%, (4)
Agree=69%, (5) Strongly Agree=23%
E. The course helped me developed my analytical skills in solving civil
engineering problems.
(1) Strongly Disagree=0%, (2) Disagree=8%, (3) Neutral=15%, (4)
Agree=77%, (5) Strongly Agree=0%
With regards to the professor’s assessment of the students’
performance in the hands-on exercises and the computer
projects, the following observations and reflections are noted:
(a) The students were able to integrate the knowledge of courses
in mathematics, numerical methods and the specialized civil
engineering subjects in designing a program on a basic civil
engineering problem,
(b) The students discovered by themselves the most appropriate
way of presenting and solving the problem using the techniques
learned from the computer exercises – an outcome expected by
the “learning by doing” approach,
(c) The different designs of the graphical user’s interface (GUI)
using colors, various objects such as buttons, text box, check
box, labels and images illustrate the aesthetic talents and
creativity of the students, and
(d) The student’s active involvement in the process: starting with
the identification of the problem, formulation of the solution,
algorithm development, interface design, writing and execution of
the VB program up to the checking of the output, resulted in
meaningful experiences that develop higher thinking skills.
Conclusion
How can computer technology be used in the classroom in
engineering instruction so that the student outcomes of the
program are addressed is a challenge to engineering educators.
This paper presented a course on applied programming in civil
engineering where the course was designed focusing on student
outcomes of applying and integrating knowledge and skills in
mathematics, physical sciences, basic and specialized
engineering sciences in developing software application on basic
civil engineering problems using modern computing tools.
Student-centered teaching and learning activities in the form of
tutorials, hands-on exercises and problem-based learning by
developing software application were adapted in the course
delivery. The student outputs in the form of simple software
applications on civil engineering problems demonstrate the
achievement of the student outcomes. Their proficiency in
programming will be useful in the senior years especially in the
specialized courses and thesis.
Information on Publication
A paper about this course, entitled “Demonstrating Students’
Skills on Integrating Knowledge of Math and Engineering in an
Applied Programming Course in Civil Engineering” by Andres
Oreta and Alden Paul Balili was published at the Computer
Applications in Engineering Education , Manuscript No. 14-089,
2015, Wiley Periodical, Inc.
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