Geological Gastronomy - A Possible Way Of Explaining Geological Processes For Civil Engineering Students

Abstract

Geology is a crucial and integral part of the curriculum in the study of civil engineering. Geology is essential for civil engineering projects, for example, to understand rock mechanics for the purposes of tunnelling, soil mechanics for the design of building foundations or to assess geological hazards for the safe construction and future use of buildings. However, in general, high school graduates do not come with sufficient basic knowledge of geology, and studies show that they consider it a boring and uninteresting subject in high school that they do not see the relevance to everyday life. Therefore, it is the lecturer's fundamental task to change the mindset of the student majority and prove the need for knowledge of geology in civil engineering. Many teaching methods can be used for this purpose, such as the use of technology and interactive tools, hands-on activities, collaborative learning, etc. However, without exciting the interest of the students, these methods are not effective as such. Therefore, the presented paper discusses methods to primarily engage students' interest in the individual topics discussed and possible methods to explain geological processes by linking them to everyday activities, making complex scientific concepts more accessible and understandable. Furthermore, students will remember and recall information more likely if it is linked to something they already know and understand. Using simple methods, a teacher can tell students an engaging story from the world of geology in which they can easily find connections to the civil engineer's practice.