Teaching & Learning

The Include team (I-Team) aims to build environments that foster engaged teaching and learning
with the goal of cultivating the innovative potential of a neurodiverse student body.

I-Team Faculty

I-Team faculty in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SoCEE) have completed a comprehensive professional development series focused on best practices for neuroinclusive teaching. Faculty then implement neuroinclusive teaching practices within redesigned courses.

Professional headshot of Professor Alexander G. Agrios

Alexander G. Agrios

Associate Professor
(860) 486-1350
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Portrait of Marina Astitha.

Marina Astitha

Associate Professor
(860) 486-3941
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Professional headshot of Professor Bagtzoglou

Amvrossios C. Bagtzoglou

Professor
(860) 486-4017
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Portrait of Fatemeh Fakhrmoosavi

Fatemeh Fakhrmoosavi

Assistant Professor
(860) 486-0548
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Portrait of Monika Filipovska

Monika Filipovska

Assistant Professor
(860) 486-2990
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Professional headshot of Professor Shinae Jang

Shinae Jang

Associate Professor in Residence
(860) 486-0540
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Jeongho Kim

Professor
(860) 486-3683
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Professional headshot of Professor Baikun Li

Baikun Li

Professor
(860) 486-2339
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Professional headshot of Professor Nicholas Lownes

Nicholas Lownes

Associate Professor
(860) 486-2717
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Portrait of Vahid Morovati

Vahid Morovati

Assistant Professor
(860) 486-6496
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Professional headshot of Professor Sarira Motaref

Sarira Motaref

Associate Professor in Residence
(860) 486-2731
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Professional Headshot of Professor Manish Roy

Manish Roy

Assistant Professor in Residence
(860) 486-5638
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Portrait of Timothy Vadas

Tim Vadas

Associate Professor
(860) 486-5552
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Portrait of Guiling Wang

Guiling Wang

Professor
(860) 486-5648
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Portrait of Prof. Kay Wille. He has short, brown hair, light skin, and is wearing a blue suit jacket, white collared shirt and a silver tie.

Kay Wille

Professor, Director of School
(860) 486-3594
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Portrait of Wei Zhang

Wei Zhang

Associate Professor
(860) 486-5642
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Redesigned Courses (I-Courses)

I-Team faculty have developed and implemented sixteen (16) redesigned courses (known as I-Courses) within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Within the College of Engineering, ENGR 1166 is also designated as an I-Course. I-Courses are aimed at enhancing both learning outcomes and the educational experience for engineering students, especially those in their sophomore and junior years. Students enrolled in the I-Course sections of the following courses may choose to participate in research that will provide valuable feedback to further shape the course redesign process.

I-Course Features

I-Courses are designed to foster the development of student strengths and cultivate a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. Faculty employ standards for instructional design and feature teaching practices that enhance motivation and engagement by:

  • providing opportunities for active learning
  • building in flexibility or choice that allow students to personalize their education to meet their learning needs and preferences
  • providing multiple modes of feedback and communication to students about their learning
  • providing scaffolding and/or other supports for student learning
  • following principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to make the course accessible to all types of learners

I-Course Offerings

Civil Engineering Courses:

  1. CE 2110 - Applied Mechanics I (Statics)
  2. CE 2251 - Probability and Statistics
  3. CE 3110 - Mechanics of Materials
  4. CE 3220 - Construction Management I
  5. CE 3510 - Soil Mechanics
  6. CE 3610 - Structural Analysis and Design
  7. CE 3640 - Design of Concrete Structures
  8. CE 4210 - Operations Research in CEE
  9. CE 4510 - Foundation Engineering
  10. CE 4720 - Street & Highway Design

 

Environmental Engineering Courses:

  1. ENVE 2310 - Environmental Engineering Fundamentals
  2. ENVE 3120 - Fluid Mechanics
  3. ENVE 3220 - Water Quality Engineering
  4. ENVE 3230 - Air Pollution Control
  5. ENVE 4210 - Environmental Engineering Chemistry
  6. ENVE 4810 - Engineering Hydrology

 

Engineering Courses:

  1. ENGR 1166 - Foundations of Engineering

I-Course Information

I-Standards

The I-Standards framework was developed to guide the course redesign process. I-Team faculty collaborated with instructional design coaches, educational experts from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), and faculty from the Neag School of Education to create the I-Standards framework.

The I-Standards are anchored in a Strength-based Approach and outline key principles spanning three core areas: Culture of Inclusion, Teaching and Learning, and Instructional Design.

Strengths-based Approach

Studies of strength-based initiatives in higher education settings show that exposure to a strengths-based interventions can produce immediate positive short-term effects including increases in confidence, self-efficacy and learning breakthroughs (Louis, 2011). By incorporating awareness of student and faculty strengths into teaching and learning, it is hoped that I-Courses may enhance engagement, motivation, and persistence in the face of challenges (Schreiner, 2014).

Culture of Inclusion

Course instructor builds a culture of inclusion by:

  • communicating their commitment to inclusion via a written or verbal statement to students
  • learning more about cognitive and other forms of diversity through workshops, readings, or other professional development opportunities
  • connecting with their students and/or otherwise encouraging a sense of belonging

Teaching & Learning

Course instructor carefully considers ways to encourage student motivation and engagement by:

  • providing opportunities for active learning
  • building in some elements of flexibility or choice that allow students to personalize their education to meet their learning needs and preferences
  • providing multiple modes of feedback and communication to students about their learning

Instructional Design

Course instructor undertakes a design process that:

  • centers students as stakeholders in the educational experience
  • provides scaffolding and/or other supports for student learning
  • follows principles of Universal Design to make the course accessible to all types of learners