Innovations in the Civil Engineering degree programmes at University College Dublin, Ireland

The paper describes some examples of innovative developments in the 4-year undergraduate Civil Engineering curriculum at UCD. The developments described were undertaken to stimulate active learning and higher order thinking. The paper focuses on innovations in what and how engineering students learn. In particular, the following examples of innovative teaching and learning strategies will be described in the paper: (a) The introduction of free elective modules for undergraduate engineering students; (b) The use of digital technology to facilitate online learning and the development of virtual laboratories; (c) The introduction of modules that stimulate student creativity and the use of teaching techniques such as peer-assisted mentoring to improve student engagement.