LATTICE: Learning Advancement Through Teaching Innovation in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Introduction
The Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department has a strong record of teaching excellence. Our faculty bring deep technical expertise and a shared commitment to mentoring and preparing the next generation of engineers. As student expectations continue to shift, the quality of instruction now plays a decisive role in how students choose majors and evaluate their academic experience. Strengthening our teaching practices will reinforce CEE’s reputation and position the department as a leader in engineering education.
Opportunity
Student feedback consistently highlights the strengths of our instructors and the value of classroom experiences in CEE. At the same time, students observe variability in instructional approaches, expectations, and available support. Some variation is natural in a diverse department, but a clear opportunity exists: to elevate our shared commitment to teaching excellence and create greater consistency across the curriculum.
Delivering a high-quality learning experience in every course — every semester — will distinguish CEE not only by what we teach, but how we teach. This initiative is designed to build on our strengths, address common challenges, and ensure that all CEE students benefit from clear expectations, strong support, and effective teaching practices.
The Seven LATTICE Initiatives
1. Class visits and course content review
The department chair will visit approximately three classes per semester and review corresponding Canvas materials. These visits are collaborative, not evaluative, and focus on celebrating strengths, understanding instructional needs, and supporting continuous improvement.
The Chair’s presence also signals to students that teaching quality is a departmental priority.
Process and expectations:
- After each visit, the chair will hold a supportive conversation with the instructor focused on instructional goals and needs
- The Chair will provide targeted support — including professional development, instructional design resources, technology tools or peer collaboration
- For upper-level courses, the chair will consult with a faculty member in the same emphasis area to ensure disciplinary alignment
- Faculty will submit a brief follow-up plan outlining potential adjustments for future course offerings
- The department will provide a structure that helps faculty implement improvements, including consultations or funding for course enhancements
- Effective innovations will be highlighted in faculty meetings or newsletters to reinforce a culture of continuous growth
This initiative ensures that faculty receive meaningful support while the department advances greater consistency and excellence across the curriculum.
2. Concept mastery and knowledge retention initiative
To strengthen long-term retention of foundational knowledge, the department will implement targeted end-of-semester assessments in key prerequisite courses. These short, graded assessments will verify mastery of essential concepts required for success in subsequent courses.
In the following semester, students will complete a refresher module — facilitated by faculty or supported by an AI-based chatbot tutor — to reinforce core ideas.
The AI tutor will offer adaptive quizzes, clarify misconceptions, and guide students through problem-solving scenarios.
Expected outcomes:
- Stronger retention of foundational concepts
- Improved performance in advanced courses and FE exam preparation
- Earlier identification of learning gaps
- A department-wide emphasis on mastery, not minimal attainment
This initiative establishes a proactive model that strengthens conceptual continuity across the curriculum.
3. AI-enhanced learning support
Faculty are piloting AI-powered study companions across multiple courses. These GPT-based chatbots function as virtual teaching assistants, available 24/7 to answer common questions, reinforce key concepts, and guide students through challenging material.
Examples of study companion chatbots:
Each assistant includes guardrails to ensure academic integrity and support — not replace — student learning.
The department will evaluate impact through usage analytics, course outcomes, and student feedback.
4. Teaching assistants
Teaching assistants play an essential role in student learning. To strengthen their impact, the department will:
- Provide mentoring sessions to enhance communication, grading consistency and student engagement
- Offer faculty-led observations of TA interactions or grading practices, followed by formative feedback.
- Establish an Outstanding TA Award to recognize exceptional contributions and highlight the importance of great teaching at all instructional levels
5. Smaller class sections for high-enrollment courses
High-enrollment courses such as Statics and Strengths will be split into smaller sections to enable more individualized interaction, deeper discussion, and timely feedback. This adjustment will significantly enhance the student experience and reinforce CEE’s commitment to teaching excellence.
6. Professional development allowance
Faculty will have access to a dedicated allowance for pedagogical development, including workshops, teaching conferences and instructional resources. The department will also provide Canvas course redesign support, enabling faculty to streamline course organization, implement new teaching strategies and enhance digital learning materials. The department has spent over $55,000 in FY25 to support 11 faculty participating in the CEE AI initiative.
7. Enhanced student feedback
To gather more actionable feedback, the department will add a small set of optional, department-specific questions to end-of-semester evaluations in required undergraduate courses. These questions will focus on clarity, consistency and instructional support. Over time, these responses will guide individual course refinements and broader departmental improvements.
Expected outcomes
- Consistent instruction across courses: Students experience a reliable standard of teaching across the curriculum
- Higher student satisfaction: Improved clarity, engagement and support will elevate evaluations and overall experience
- Improved knowledge retention: Stronger mastery of foundational concepts enhances performance in upper-level courses
- Recruitment advantages: A strong teaching reputation attracts more freshmen, transfer students, and undecided majors
- Faculty and TA support: Instructors feel empowered and supported through resources and recognition
- Innovation in education: AI-based tools strengthen learning while preserving academic integrity and reducing DFW rates
- Actionable feedback: Tailored evaluation questions provide clearer direction for improvement
- Visible commitment: Chair participation in classes demonstrates that student learning is central to the department’s mission
Conclusion
The CEE Department already excels in teaching. LATTICE builds on that foundation by strengthening concept mastery, integrating AI-supported learning and deepening faculty collaboration. These initiatives will enhance the student experience, ensure consistency across all courses and position CEE as the department of choice for future engineers.
This initiative reflects our shared commitment to excellence—not as an obligation, but as a strategic opportunity to lead in engineering education and student success.