CASE STUDIES - A TOOL FOR LEARNING

The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board requires broadly-based undergraduate programs that develop technical awareness, motivation, confidence, teamwork and life-long learning. These objectives can be reached in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses using projects based on case studies. The projects use published data and records of performance that students can reproduce using modern design tools and numerical analysis. The paper includes examples of projects in the subject area of geotechnical engineering. Case studies are becoming increasingly valuable as employers and licensing authorities move toward a combination of broadly-based undergraduate education and more specialized postgraduate or in-practice training.