Curricular Unit:Code:
Environmental Engineering Project II823PEA2
Year:Level:Course:Credits:
2UndergraduateEnvironmental Engineering6 ects
Learning Period:Language of Instruction:Total Hours:
Portuguese/English78
Learning Outcomes of the Curricular Unit:
Students familiarization with real problems in the Environmental Engineering profession; activities promotion and creation of spaces for discussion of subjects related with the specialization area; skills development in data collection, analysis and interpretation; skills development in problem solving through knowledge integration in a multi and interdisciplinary approach.
Syllabus:
1. Project planning
2. Literature review
3. Field work / Laboratory
4. Data interpretation and analysis
5. Writing of final report
6. Oral presentation and discussion.
Examples of a typical project to be developed in this curricular unit:
Management of a water distribution network.
Demonstration of the Syllabus Coherence with the Curricular Unit's Objectives:
1. Project planning – familiarization of the students with professional reality of developing a project with defined objectives, as well as with the importance of adequately planning the tasks to be developed;
2. Literature review – development of the ability of consulting technical and scientific information, as well as of contextualizing the problem in a multi and inter-disciplinary level;
3. Field work / Laboratory – development of the ability to collect data through field work and develop analytical laboratory work;
4. Data interpretation and analysis – development of skills regarding the interpretation and analysis of data, integrating knowledge in a multi and interdisciplinary level;
5. Writing of final report – development of skills regarding synthesizing and presentation of written information;
6. Oral presentation and discussion – development of the ability to make oral presentations and participate in discussions regarding technical and scientific problems.
Teaching Methodologies (Including Evaluation):
The teaching methodology is Project Based Learning. Contact hours between students and teachers will be dedicated to guide and supervise student’s work.
Thematic lectures with external speakers, when applicable, related with the project subject.
Three student presentation sessions throughout the development of the project, with all students and teachers involved. These sessions will promote discussion on methodologies, analysis and results that are being obtained.
The evaluation of this curriculum unit is continuous, regarding: student’s performance in classes, field work and laboratory work, and in the presentations session, and the final report of the project.
Demonstration of the Coherence between the Teaching Methodologies and the Learning Outcomes:
The work to be developed aims to stimulate students to deepen the knowledge of certain subjects from the need of solving a defined problem in real context. Project Based Learning aims to familiarize the students with situations related with the professional role of an Environmental Engineer, and therefore the project is selected to represent a possible real situation in this area. The theme should be related with as many courses of the semester as possible. Teacher and student contact hours are dedicated to the orientation of the work and supervision of its progress. The promotion of thematic lectures with external experts enables the discussion of subjects related with the theme of the project. Through the periodic formal presentations regarding the progress of their work, students will develop their communication skills in a multidisciplinary environment, with different publics (classmates, teachers and external experts).
Reading:
1. Peavy, H.S., Rowe, D.R., Tchobanoglous, G., Environmental Engineering, McGraw-Hill. 4., 1985
2. Viessman, W., Hammer, M. , Water Supply and Pollution Control, Addison-Wesley, 1998
3. Pinto, A. Sistemas de Gestão Ambiental. Lisboa, Edições Sílabo, Lda, 2006.
4. Pesquisa B-ON - Biblioteca do Conhecimento Online, http://www.b-on.pt/