2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Significance of Project-Based Learning in the Understanding of Material Properties in a Sophomore Class

Familiarization with construction materials and understanding their properties is essential for civil engineering students. However, this subject matter is often perceived as challenging to engage students. This study examines how incorporating a hands-on project activity helped sophomore students become more interested and gain a better understanding of the properties of fresh and hardened concrete, as well as the effect of the addition of Pozzolans. This activity also introduced the students to the fundamentals of experimental design. The study also includes the results of a survey conducted among students to assess the impact of the hands-on activity on their understanding of concrete and Pozzolan properties. This paper can potentially help other faculty who are interested in incorporating hands-on activities in the materials class.