Event Title
The Broader Development of the Student Engineer through Industry Based Experiential Learning
Location
Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
Event Website
https://event.ceri2020.exordo.com/
Start Date
28-8-2020 3:00 PM
End Date
28-8-2020 4:15 PM
Description
The global drive for industry-aware and industry-ready engineering graduates, has led to the development and integration of experiential learning through work placements. Industry is looking to recruit graduates with not just the requisite technical engineering skills, but also graduates with inter alia high levels of teamwork and communications skills. This has been recognised by CIT with the integration of work placement in most of its undergraduate programmes. This paper provides an overview of the student placement process in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at CIT, includes the work placement alternative which was implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 This paper documents the evolution of the placement process over the past 10 years, and the department’s development of online submission and monitoring procedure for students. The findings of a survey of student engineers are presented, following their return to CIT, having recently completed a summer work placement internship. Whilst it is evident that placement will deepen the technical knowledge of the student, a significant finding of this research identifies the many areas that are developed and deepened in the student engineer as a result of the placement. Many students cited increased confidence and a greater focus on their studies once they return to study after the placement.
Recommended Citation
Coleman, Donogh; McKenna, Ted; and Moloney, Mary, "The Broader Development of the Student Engineer through Industry Based Experiential Learning" (2020). Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2020. 6.
https://sword.cit.ie/ceri/2020/16/6
Included in
Civil Engineering Commons, Construction Engineering and Management Commons, Environmental Engineering Commons, Geotechnical Engineering Commons, Hydraulic Engineering Commons, Structural Engineering Commons, Transportation Engineering Commons
The Broader Development of the Student Engineer through Industry Based Experiential Learning
Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
The global drive for industry-aware and industry-ready engineering graduates, has led to the development and integration of experiential learning through work placements. Industry is looking to recruit graduates with not just the requisite technical engineering skills, but also graduates with inter alia high levels of teamwork and communications skills. This has been recognised by CIT with the integration of work placement in most of its undergraduate programmes. This paper provides an overview of the student placement process in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at CIT, includes the work placement alternative which was implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 This paper documents the evolution of the placement process over the past 10 years, and the department’s development of online submission and monitoring procedure for students. The findings of a survey of student engineers are presented, following their return to CIT, having recently completed a summer work placement internship. Whilst it is evident that placement will deepen the technical knowledge of the student, a significant finding of this research identifies the many areas that are developed and deepened in the student engineer as a result of the placement. Many students cited increased confidence and a greater focus on their studies once they return to study after the placement.
https://sword.cit.ie/ceri/2020/16/6
