4. Discussion & Conclusions
Table 2 summarises the examples of digital resource described in the previous
section. It should be noted that these examples only constitute a small snapshot of
the widespread usage of digital resources in the civil engineering degree programme
at NUI Galway. These particular examples were chosen to demonstrate the wide
range of digital resources that are currently utilised by Discipline staff and the
breadth of the subject areas in which they are used. From structural and
geotechnical engineering through to hydraulic and environmental engineering, digital
resources are helping teachers and students to achieve programme outcomes in
ways that traditional teaching methods cannot. In addition, they are facilitating a
more interactive, engaging student learning experience inside, and in some cases
even outside, the class room.
Resource
Type
Examples of Resources
Module
Programme
Outcomes
Videos +
Animations
Video of land slide
Video of 'Kentledge' collapse
Animation - Newton's Cradle
Videos of wastewater
treatment technologies
CE312 Soil Mechanics
CE414 Geotechnical Eng.
CE217 Elementary Hydraulics
CE307 Environmental Eng.
(a)
(d)
(a)
(c), (d)
Software +
Databases
MS Excel finite difference
model
Bridgebuilder
TM game
Environmental databases
CE414 Geotechnical Eng.
CE107 Fund. of Civil Eng.
CE307 Environmental Eng.
(a), (b), (c)
(b), (c), (d)
(c), (d)
Learning
Technologies
Online quizzes via
Blackboard
TM
Concept questions via clickers
CE312 Soil Mechanics
CE217 Elementary Hydraulics
(a), (b)
(a), (b)
New
Engineering
building
Structural, energy and
environmental datasets
CE107 Fund. of Civil Eng
CE202 Principles of Building
CE454 Sustainable Energy
and Energy in Building
(a), (c), (d)
Table 2: Summary of selected digital resources and related programme outcomes.
The authors believe that a digital resource should only be used as a teaching tool if,
in the first instance, it helps achieve a learning outcome, and in the second instance,
it enhances the student learning experience. Since the learning outcomes of
individual course modules enable the achievement of the programme outcomes (in
an engineering context the outcomes stipulated by the professional accreditation
criteria), it follows that the metrics used to evaluate the impact of digital resource use
should be:
• their contribution to achievement of programme outcomes; and
• their enhancement of the student learning experience
From Table 2, it can be seen that all the examples of digital resources used by staff
enable students to achieve one or more programme outcomes. Analyses of
anonymous student feedback provide further evidence that these digital resources
Table 2 summarises the examples of digital resource described in the previous
section. It should be noted that these examples only constitute a small snapshot of
the widespread usage of digital resources in the civil engineering degree programme
at NUI Galway. These particular examples were chosen to demonstrate the wide
range of digital resources that are currently utilised by Discipline staff and the
breadth of the subject areas in which they are used. From structural and
geotechnical engineering through to hydraulic and environmental engineering, digital
resources are helping teachers and students to achieve programme outcomes in
ways that traditional teaching methods cannot. In addition, they are facilitating a
more interactive, engaging student learning experience inside, and in some cases
even outside, the class room.
Resource
Type
Examples of Resources
Module
Programme
Outcomes
Videos +
Animations
Video of land slide
Video of 'Kentledge' collapse
Animation - Newton's Cradle
Videos of wastewater
treatment technologies
CE312 Soil Mechanics
CE414 Geotechnical Eng.
CE217 Elementary Hydraulics
CE307 Environmental Eng.
(a)
(d)
(a)
(c), (d)
Software +
Databases
MS Excel finite difference
model
Bridgebuilder
TM game
Environmental databases
CE414 Geotechnical Eng.
CE107 Fund. of Civil Eng.
CE307 Environmental Eng.
(a), (b), (c)
(b), (c), (d)
(c), (d)
Learning
Technologies
Online quizzes via
Blackboard
TM
Concept questions via clickers
CE312 Soil Mechanics
CE217 Elementary Hydraulics
(a), (b)
(a), (b)
New
Engineering
building
Structural, energy and
environmental datasets
CE107 Fund. of Civil Eng
CE202 Principles of Building
CE454 Sustainable Energy
and Energy in Building
(a), (c), (d)
Table 2: Summary of selected digital resources and related programme outcomes.
The authors believe that a digital resource should only be used as a teaching tool if,
in the first instance, it helps achieve a learning outcome, and in the second instance,
it enhances the student learning experience. Since the learning outcomes of
individual course modules enable the achievement of the programme outcomes (in
an engineering context the outcomes stipulated by the professional accreditation
criteria), it follows that the metrics used to evaluate the impact of digital resource use
should be:
• their contribution to achievement of programme outcomes; and
• their enhancement of the student learning experience
From Table 2, it can be seen that all the examples of digital resources used by staff
enable students to achieve one or more programme outcomes. Analyses of
anonymous student feedback provide further evidence that these digital resources