Use of an interactive approach and case studies in Geo-engineering education

'Group interactive learning strategies' can be very effective in the teaching of geotechnical engineering. An interactive and case studies approaches have been discussed. The importance of problem formulation in Geo-engineering education is brought out. Integration of theory and practice in the teaching of geotechnical engineering have been examined on the basis of several years of teaching of geotechnical and foundation engineering courses. Most geotechnical analyses and relationships, for use in design, are developed under idealized boundry conditions. It has been pointed out that an understanding of the departure between the idealized and the real boundry conditions is essential for the practice of geotechnical engineering and can be taught with the help of case-studies. The case studies can also be used to teach students that the success of a geotechnical engineer depends upon how well he/she bridges the gap (departure) between the idealized textbook and real world conditions by the use of judgment, experience, and parametric studies. An interactive approach can be used in teaching of case histories. Both the interactive and case studies approaches can be effectively used to improve geoengineering education.