Conceptual Understanding of Performance-Based Seismic Design through Project-Based Learning during a Five-Week Graduate Course

Performance-based seismic design (PBSD) represents a paradigm shift in structural engineering, emphasizing stakeholder-defined objectives and nonlinear evaluation over prescriptive code-based methods. Teaching PBSD at the graduate level is challenging due to its conceptual complexity and students’ reliance on conventional design approaches. This paper presents a case study on the effectiveness of project-based learning (PBL) for teaching PBSD in a five-week graduate course within the structural engineering specialization program at Universidad Industrial de Santander. Students designed a four-story residential building using both code-based and performance-based methods, supported by real seismic hazard data and nonlinear analysis tools. Learning outcomes were assessed at three stages with peer-reviewed rubrics and validated through inferential statistical analysis. Results show substantial improvement, with average conceptual understanding scores rising from 1.39 ± 0.49 to 3.84 ± 1.05 , a mean improvement of 2.45 with a 95% confidence interval of [2.05, 2.85]. Analysis through Bloom’s taxonomy, SOLO taxonomy, and experiential learning frameworks indicates that PBL enabled students to progress from routine application of design codes to higher-order skills needed for PBSD. These findings suggest that PBL is an effective strategy for teaching high-complexity engineering paradigms at the graduate level within intensive and time-compressed formats, thereby contributing to the body of evidence on PBL and its application in accelerated professional education.