Integrating virtual 3d lab modules for flood modeling studies in civil engineering curriculum: an inter-university implementation and evaluation

Introduction: Recently, due to global climatic changes, high intensity rainfall events are observed more frequently. Severe weather conditions can lead to large scale flooding which often results in extensive property damage and even loss of life. Understanding the conditions that impact floods and identifying strategies to prevent flooding is critically important to protecting human life and infrastructure. Flood modeling is considered to be an important tool by the US Army Corps and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for addressing flood management and mitigation. Because it is often not viable to develop a laboratory setup which can simulate various flood scenarios, this project proposes to use a interactive 3D model of a flood plain to aid civil engineering students and community partners in better understanding the many factors impacting floods and identifying the best flood management plan. Objectives: This project proposes to transform the water resources engineering teaching at four institutions by incorporating a interactive 3D laboratory module which will allow students to manipulate real-world data in order to better understand the complex systems involved in flood modeling, management, and mitigation. The effectiveness of the module in aiding students' attainment of several specific content-based learning objectives will be assessed. The module's impact on students' learning process (specifically, their engagement in instruction, the ease with which they learn complex concepts and theories, and their enjoyment of the learning process) will also be assessed. Methods: To meet the project objectives, a 3D module developed at Purdue Calumet will be fine-tuned and used during an instructional unit on flooding in a civil engineering course at four different universities. Students will use the virtual module to simulate different scenarios and use those results to visualize the field implications and usefulness of various flood mitigation options. Students' learning will be assessed and compared to the learning of students who completed the unit of instruction without the aid of the 3D module at four different universities. Through workshops, presentations, and publications, the module will be shared with related departments/programs at the participating institutions, civil engineering faculty at other institutions, community groups responsible for flood management, and the scientific community more broadly. Intellectual merit: This project uses a novel approach by incorporating an immersive virtual laboratory module to facilitate effective learning related to flood management and mitigation. This approach integrates traditional flood modeling tools and innovative geo-spatial approaches combined with emerging computational animation and visualization techniques to enhance student learning. This type of learning experience will require students to question theories based on their immersive involvement in a real-world problem, validate assumptions used in the models of real-world scenarios, and appreciate the conceptual and practical utilities of models in evaluating strategies and solutions. The immersive visualization brings students closer to reality than any other methodology adopted for teaching this important topic. Broader Impacts: The broader impacts of this research program include a new addition to the enhanced use of immersive interactive 3D with hydraulic modeling in creating real world scenarios for use in the classroom. Seamless integration of different tools from geosciences, hydrology and computer animation fields generate a cohesive platform that can be shared across disciplines and schools with an ease of transferability and applicability. The platform is an immensely powerful educational tool, but it can also be a valuable asset to professionals, practitioners, and decision makers involved in agencies that handle flooding events.