Agricultural Structures Design (BRAE 433)

Purpose: to help other instructors teaching the same course

Common Course ID: Agricultural Structures Design (BRAE 433)
 CSU Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: This open textbook is being utilized in an agricultural structure design course for undergraduate students by Dr. Mohammad Sadek at California polytechnic State university. The open textbook provides detailed steps to reinforced concrete design for structural component and relevant ACI code to follow maintain the design standards. This textbook also includes a large appendix with numbers of charts and tables required for design analysis. The main motivation to adopt an open textbook was to provide affordable course material to every student. Most of the textbook with latest ACI code are very expensive and student cannot be successful in this course without a textbook. Most student access the open textbook online via poly access.

Course Title and Number
Brief Description of course highlights:  Agricultural Structures Design (BRAE 433) is a required course for all Bioresource and agricultural engineering major students. This course provides a fundamental guideline to analyze and design different structural component used in agricultural systems.  Basic concepts and detail analysis of structural beams, reinforces concrete, slabs, columns, walls are covered in an effort to prepare students for future career in machinery and structures design encountered in agricultural systems.

Student population:  30-40 students
Prerequisite: BRAR 232, CE 204

Learning or student outcomes:  

1. To interpret the behavior of structural members exposed to flexural, shear, and axial load effects
2. to apply code-based methodologies to design structural component
3. to recognize how design details may affect the constructability of the structure

Key challenges faced and how resolved: Challenge: A low-cost textbook with latest building code. Solution: New online book through Poly access. Many Cal Poly courses are customized for learn by doing pedagogies. My course is also designed for a very specialized area, and it is very difficult to find a book that covers all the content required for this course. With the help of OER resource and advice from librarian I was able to source the low-cost material for the students.

Syllabus and/or Sample assignment from the course or the adoption [optional]: To illustrates how the open textbook is used in the course.

Textbook or OER/Low cost Title: 

Brief Description:  Reinforced Concrete Design.
https://brytewave.redshelf.com/app/ecom/shelf

The textbook takes a fundamental, active-learning approach to analyzing the design, strength, and behavior of reinforced concrete members and simple reinforced concrete structural systems. This textbook also integrates current building and material codes with plenty of realistic examples to easily follow and apply the codes. The examples in this book used a step-by-step solution format examples to gain a practical understanding of reinforced concrete resign for structural component.

 
Authors:  Abi O. Aghayere; Jason Vigil

Student access:  Canvas (course management system)

Supplemental resources: 

1. Instructors’ handout provides summarized formula, ACI code, examples, past years reports and PE exam prep materials
2. Supplemental YouTube videos are posted on Canvas. 
3. Lecture slides and handouts posted on Canvas. 

Cost Savings:  Actual cost $160 per textbook, reduced cost $30 per textbook.  Cost savings for this year (34 students): $4420

License: Copyrighted (Printing 20%) 

OER/Low Cost Adoption Process

Provide an explanation or what motivated you to use this textbook or OER/Low Cost option. Every student is required to have a textbook for this course and the previous textbook was very expensive for many students. The main motivation was to find an affordable textbook for all students. In addition, access to this test book content will help student to prepare for PE exam.

How did you find and select the open textbook for this course? Consulted librarians and browsed OER sites.

Sharing Best Practices: Every faculty must explore OER resource for their class. Many students cannot afford multiple textbooks every quarter which hinders their ability to success in the course. Many students hesitant to share that. OER or Low Cost materials will increase the chances for success in the course. 

Mohammad Sadek, Ph.D., Asst Professor
California Polytechnic State University 

Asst Professor of BioResource and Agricultural Engineering
https://brae.calpoly.edu/faculty-and-staff-sadek

Describe your teaching philosophy and any research interests related to your discipline or teaching.  In my teaching philosophy, I encourage students to be better learners through independent thinking and applying their knowledge to solve real-life problems. As an effective teacher, it is my responsibility to provide students with the necessary tools and training to apply their knowledge effectively. Differences in the student’s ability, educational system, and cultural settings have allowed me to learn and become flexible in adapting my teaching style to best suit a given audience. Based on my evolving teaching experience, I have developed the following three major teaching philosophies: