Case Study
This semester we will be doing a case study exercise which will be part of your grade. This is kind of like a term project or term paper, but a little more low-key. First of all, the case study will be done in groups of 3-4 students. The group assignments are listed below. Everyone is expected to contribute equally to the case study. Each group is expected to find and research a case study that involves seepage, dewatering, and/or slope stability analysis. Not just a slope failure or seepage problem for example, but a case where some sort of analysis was peformed similar to the types of analysis we cover in class. This could be a design project or an investigation into a slope failure or seepage problem.
Executive Summary
Each group will submit a two-page executive summary of your case study. Include a title, an overview, and a list of references (minimum of three). This should be a high-level summary of the case study and the analysis that was performed.
Presentation
You will be expected to prepare and deliver a powerpoint presentation to the class. The presentations will be 8-10 minutes long with a few minutes in each case for Q/A. Each person on your team should make part of the presentation. The presentations should be as professional as possible. Try to minimize bulleted lists and focus more on photos, drawings, videos, etc. You will also be expected to prepare a one-page written executive summary of your case study.
The presentation files will be due at midnight on the evening prior to the day of presentations. One person per team should upload the case study presentation. Each of the other members of the team will upload the title slide only(this simplifies my grading process). The title slide should include the group number.
Scoring
The case study will be worth 7 points. The breakdown is as follows:
| Item | Pts | % |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Summary | 2 | 28.6% |
| Presentation | 5 | 71.4% |
| Total: | 7 | 100% |
Groups
For this semester, we will have 5 groups of 2. You will sign up for a group using the excel file in the shared folder in the General channel on Teams. The file is called "case_study_groups.xlsx". Please sign up for a group by the end of the day on Friday, March 13th. If you have any questions about the case study or the group assignments, please let me know.
Due Dates
Presentations will be on Thursday, April 9th. The presentation file and the executive summary will be due that night at midnight. Both should be uploaded to Learning Suite. The executive summary should be uploaded as a PDF file and the presentation should be uploaded as a PowerPoint file. Please make sure to name your files appropriately (e.g., "Group1_CaseStudy_Presentation.pptx" and "Group1_CaseStudy_ExecutiveSummary.pdf").