Application of a Conceptual Hydrologic Model in Teaching Hydrologic Processes

Int. J. Engng Ed. Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 963–973, 2010 Printed in Great Britain. 0949-149X/91 $3.00+0.00 # 2010 TEMPUS Publications. Application of a Conceptual Hydrologic Model in Teaching Hydrologic Processes* AMIR AGHAKOUCHAK, EMAD HABIB Department of Civil Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, PO Box 42291, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA. E-mail: amir.a@uci.edu, habib@louisiana.edu In this study, a hands-on modeling tool is developed for students in civil engineering and earth science disciplines to help them learn the fundamentals of hydrologic processes and basic concepts of model calibration and sensitivity analysis, and practice conceptual thinking in solving and analysis of engineering problems. This modeling tool aims to provide an interdisciplinary applica- tion-oriented learning environment that introduces the hydrologic phenomena through the use of a simplified conceptual hydrologic model. The modeling tool was introduced in an upper-level civil engineering course and students were asked to submit their feedback before and after using the modeling tool through the Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) online system to gauge improvement in their learning. The SALG report showed that the hands-on approach significantly added to students’ learning and provided them with better understanding of interconnected hydrologic processes. Furthermore, students gained knowledge in areas that are not commonly taught in hydrology lectures (e.g. calibration, sensitivity analysis, etc). Based on the findings, some recommendations are given for further improvements in the use of hydrologic models as interactive tools for teaching complex and interconnected hydrologic concepts and inspiring students towards postgraduate education or future professional career. Keywords: hydrology education; hydrologic modeling; hands-on laboratory program; concep- tual thinking; interdisciplinary application oriented learning environment sively to study the effect of water resources management scenarios, to enable prediction in ungauged catchments, and to assess the impact of possible future changes in climate and land use. Modeling, in general, is the process of describing a system based on some input variables, model parameters, and initial conditions. Within an educational framework, hydrologic models can provide students and educators with supportive environments for inquiry and discovery-based learning [7]. Recent studies have recommended the use of hands-on teaching techniques in engin- eering education to inspire students in learning the fundamental concepts and prepare them for their future practical careers [8–10]. Chanson and James [11] used real-life sedimentation and catchment erosion case studies to highlight the importance of sediment transport in design procedure. Hanson et al. [12] presented a learning tool for system modeling using a set of linear reservoirs. Elshor- bagy [13] employed the concept of system dynamics for teaching watershed hydrology. Endreny [14] applied numerical methods and programming techniques to explore the Green- Ampt infiltration scheme. Following on from these efforts, this study tests the use of a simplified conceptual hydrologic model to expose students in engineering and envir- onmental sciences programs to a first-hand experi- ence of hydrologic modeling. The model, described in the following section, is provided in an Excel spreadsheet so that students can easily change the 1. INTRODUCTION UNDERSTANDING HYDROLOGIC PRO- CESSES (i.e. evapotranspiration, infiltration, snowmelt, interflow, etc.) is fundamental to water resources and environmental engineers and scien- tists. The need for improving existing engineering hydrology curricula has been highlighted in vari- ous national and international reports, particularly in two areas: modeling and field observations [1– 3]. More recently, two major community initiatives (the Consortium for Universities for the Advance- ment of Hydrologic Science, Inc., CUAHSI [4]; and the Collaborative Large-Scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research, CLEANER) have stressed the critical role of observations and simulation models for transform- ing the future of hydrologic and engineering education. With the increasing availability of hydrologic data over a wide range of scales (e.g., from remote sensing platforms), hydrology educa- tion can significantly benefit from the use of simulation models to aid in understanding the complex behavior and significant variability evident in hydrologic observations. In fact, a purely theoretical coverage of hydrology topics can be uninteresting to today’s engineering students who are better inspired by hands-on teaching methods. Hydrologic models [5–6] have been used exten- * Accepted 20 February 2010.