Introducing High School Students into the Multidisciplinary World of Bridge Construction Using Project-Based Learning

Abstract

This article presents the application of the problem-based learning (PBL) methodology for introducing the civil engineering task of bridge design and construction to high school students with a multidisciplinary approach. The materials (toy construction system) and methodology of the workshop are first presented. Then, three examples of arch typology proposals are detailed, as an example of the evolution of the students’ designs in time while retrofitting the successive editions. A selection of the built structures along with some pictures of their most representative details in the decks and arches are included. Finally, the different experiences obtained from this activity are also reviewed. The objective of this paper is to present the observations of the authors after several years of conducting this workshop with the hope that colleagues from other institutions might benefit from the strategies exposed and adapt them to different disciplines or focus on specific topics. The key observation was that the use of construction toys, which are not usually used by teachers, proved to be a powerful learning tool, the limitations of which can be overcome, and the method used was improved annually to realize the objective.