Course portfolio

Analysis and design of structures are the main responsibilities of structural engineers. However, the design process is primarily based on the analysis results. Then, it is not an exaggeration if we consider structural analysis as the foundation of the design and construction of various structures. Structural Analysis (which is called CE 461 at KU) introduces students to the fundamental and theoretical concepts of structural engineering. This course may be the first time students learn the principles of analysis of structures.

Course Description

CE 461 is a 4-credit hour required course in which civil and architectural engineering students learn to analyze statically determinate and indeterminate civil structures. The course is made of 150 minutes of lectures and one 110-minute lab session every week during the semester. Lectures are given in two 75-minute classes and the lab session is often a recitation class that a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) leads. A reasonable proficiency in the Strength of Materials course (CE 310) is a prerequisite for this course. This course has been offered regularly every semester during the past ten years. Furthermore, two Undergraduate Teaching Fellows (UGTFs) help the instructor and GTA during group works.

Student Description:

Students from both the civil engineering and architectural engineering disciplines usually take this course at the beginning of their third year of university education.

Content Description

The course covers classical structural analysis methods for the analysis of trusses, beams, and frames. Students learn to evaluate the stability of structures and to calculate the support reactions, internal forces, and deflections of members using classical approaches like the integration method, the conjugate beam method, the virtual work, the influence line, the slope-deflection, and moment distribution method while certain parameters such as loads, dimensions, materials, and support conditions are defined. Weekly homework sets, daily quizzes, three in-class mid-term exams, and a final exam are administered to evaluate the students (see syllabus). The instructor usually dedicates about half of each lecture session to teaching the analysis methods to the students. The remaining time is assigned to solve in-class examples while students are simultaneously working in small groups. The recitation component focuses on in-class problem-solving and using learning tools (like Mola Structural Kits or Truss Kits) to simulate the behavior of architectural structures. The students often work in small groups during recitation sessions.

Classroom Description

The course capacity is 60 people and typically more than 50 students enroll each semester. Then, in order to avoid a compact classroom, usually the largest classroom at LEEP2 with 144 available seats is assigned for it. There are 18 round tables with a monitor beside for students and a podium at the center of the class for the instructor. Various electronic tools are available for the instructor and teaching assistant to submit their lectures. The instructor divided the students into 14 groups of 4 to 5. They must sit at their tables during the semester. The figure below shows the classroom space.

In Fall 2019, I was the GTA of the course and Dr. Elaina Sutley was the instructor. It was a great opportunity for me to experience my practicum for the course of Engineering Education 2. I decided to choose the slope-deflection method for my teaching experience. I should mention that CE 461 has been reconstructed at least twice in the past. The first one was done in 2006 when Dr. Bennett was the instructor. Later, in 2017, Dr. Sutley revised the course learning objectives and made some changes in homework problems and teaching materials. Consequently, significant changes in course material cannot be expected. However, similar to any other process or system, teaching (or generally education systems) requires continuous quality improvement. Therefore, I did a complete backwards design for the unit based on the new predefined learning objectives. I also revised the lecture material, homework assignments, and in-class quizzes, as well as in-class examples, completely.

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