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Exploring Educational Needs and Practices in Structural Analysis.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Exploring Educational Needs and Practices in Structural Analysis.
Authors: Lanning, Joel, Roberts, Matthew W., Wiggins, Brandon K.
Source: Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition; 2024, p1-22, 22p
Subject Terms: Structural analysis (Engineering), Engineering education, Computer software, Automation, Scientific method, Analytical skills
Abstract: For decades, the gap between academic training and practical skills in structural engineering has been a concern for both practitioners and educators. This disconnect is often attributed to several factors including an imbalance in the teaching of analytical and theoretical methods, too much or too little exposure to computer software, inadequate focus on developing an intuitive understanding of structures, and a deficiency in nurturing engineering thinking and imaginative problem-solving abilities. This paper examines the alignment between industry needs and academic curricula for structural analysis education. Recent surveys of practitioners and educators reveal agreement on the importance of both classical methods and competency with analysis software. However, an investigation of structural analysis course descriptions in 264 U.S. undergraduate civil engineering programs indicates that only 54% explicitly cover computer techniques, while just 22% teach approximate methods useful for verifying software--a skill rated as 'Important' or 'Very Important' by the vast majority (>90%) of practitioners and educators surveyed. This highlights the disconnect between valued industry skills and current teaching practices. The investigation further reveals there may also be mismatches such as limited emphasis on topics like load path understanding, again despite its applied value. As automation shapes the profession, developing forward-thinking, integrated curricula that merges classical skills with software proficiency and an understanding of structural behavior is increasingly critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition is the property of ASEE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Complementary Index
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Header DbId: edb
DbLabel: Complementary Index
An: 183005800
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AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Conference
PubTypeId: conference
PreciseRelevancyScore: 964.9453125
IllustrationInfo
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  Label: Title
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  Data: Exploring Educational Needs and Practices in Structural Analysis.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lanning%2C+Joel%22">Lanning, Joel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Roberts%2C+Matthew+W%2E%22">Roberts, Matthew W.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wiggins%2C+Brandon+K%2E%22">Wiggins, Brandon K.</searchLink>
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  Data: Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition; 2024, p1-22, 22p
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Structural+analysis+%28Engineering%29%22">Structural analysis (Engineering)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Engineering+education%22">Engineering education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+software%22">Computer software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Automation%22">Automation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scientific+method%22">Scientific method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Analytical+skills%22">Analytical skills</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: For decades, the gap between academic training and practical skills in structural engineering has been a concern for both practitioners and educators. This disconnect is often attributed to several factors including an imbalance in the teaching of analytical and theoretical methods, too much or too little exposure to computer software, inadequate focus on developing an intuitive understanding of structures, and a deficiency in nurturing engineering thinking and imaginative problem-solving abilities. This paper examines the alignment between industry needs and academic curricula for structural analysis education. Recent surveys of practitioners and educators reveal agreement on the importance of both classical methods and competency with analysis software. However, an investigation of structural analysis course descriptions in 264 U.S. undergraduate civil engineering programs indicates that only 54% explicitly cover computer techniques, while just 22% teach approximate methods useful for verifying software--a skill rated as 'Important' or 'Very Important' by the vast majority (>90%) of practitioners and educators surveyed. This highlights the disconnect between valued industry skills and current teaching practices. The investigation further reveals there may also be mismatches such as limited emphasis on topics like load path understanding, again despite its applied value. As automation shapes the profession, developing forward-thinking, integrated curricula that merges classical skills with software proficiency and an understanding of structural behavior is increasingly critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: Abstract
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition is the property of ASEE and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Structural analysis (Engineering)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Engineering education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Computer software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Automation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scientific method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Analytical skills
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Exploring Educational Needs and Practices in Structural Analysis.
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Lanning, Joel
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            NameFull: Roberts, Matthew W.
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          Name:
            NameFull: Wiggins, Brandon K.
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Text: 2024
              Type: published
              Y: 2024
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 21535868
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            – TitleFull: Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
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