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1. Course learning objectives (CLOs) mapping

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Apply the principles of the water cycle to calculate the mass balance of groundwater aquifers and surface water bodies
  2. Analyze laboratory and field data to determine properties of groundwater aquifers, including hydraulic conductivity
  3. Use fundamental principles of groundwater flow to describe the directions and magnitudes of groundwater flow
  4. Describe the interactions among hydrological, geological, and transport processes affecting groundwater systems
  5. Setup and calibrate a basic groundwater model to simulate groundwater flow and evaluate different groundwater management strategies

Each module in the course supports at least one of these CLOs.

2. Module learning objectives

Module 1: Introduction to Groundwater Systems

At the completion of the module, you will be able to:

  1. Explain the importance of groundwater in water supply, agriculture, ecosystems, and engineering applications.
  2. Describe the hydrologic cycle and groundwater’s role within surface–subsurface water interactions.
  3. Apply the hydrologic (water budget) equation to steady-state and transient systems.
  4. Identify major groundwater challenges, including depletion, contamination, and sustainability under climate change.
  5. Recognize sources and impacts of groundwater contamination and the basic principles of remediation.

CLOs Supported:

Assessments:

Module 2: Properties of Aquifers

At the completion of the module, you will be able to:

  1. Define and quantify key aquifer properties including porosity, specific yield, hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and storativity.
  2. Apply Darcy’s Law to analyze groundwater flow and perform first-order calculations.
  3. Differentiate aquifer types and storage mechanisms in confined and unconfined systems.
  4. Evaluate spatial variability in hydraulic properties, including heterogeneity, anisotropy, and hydraulic gradient variation.

CLOs Supported:

Assessments:

Module 3: Principles of Groundwater Flow

At the completion of the module, you will be able to:

  1. Define and interpret hydraulic head as mechanical energy per unit weight and determine groundwater flow direction from head gradients.
  2. Measure and analyze hydraulic head data to compute horizontal and vertical hydraulic gradients.
  3. Formulate and solve groundwater flow equations for confined and unconfined aquifers under steady-state conditions.
  4. Construct and interpret flow nets to estimate groundwater flow patterns and discharge.

CLOs Supported:

Assessments:

Module 4: Well Hydraulics

At the completion of the module, you will be able to:

  1. Explain aquifer response to pumping under steady and transient radial flow conditions.
  2. Apply analytical solutions (Thiem, Theis, Cooper–Jacob, Neuman) to estimate transmissivity and storativity.
  3. Analyze pumping test data using graphical and regression methods.
  4. Design and interpret aquifer tests, accounting for well losses, boundaries, heterogeneity, and sustainability implications.

CLOs Supported:

Assessments:

Module 5: Field Methods

At the completion of the module, you will be able to:

  1. Explain the principles of electrical resistivity imaging and its relationship to hydraulic conductivity and subsurface lithology.
  2. Interpret geophysical well logs (resistivity, SP, gamma ray) to distinguish sand and clay formations.
  3. Integrate geophysical and pumping test data to characterize aquifer properties.
  4. Develop a conceptual hydrogeologic model to support groundwater flow modeling and management decisions.

CLOs Supported:

Assessments:

Module 6: Groundwater Flow Modeling

At the completion of the module, you will be able to:

  1. Develop a conceptual model of a groundwater system based on site data and hydrogeologic understanding.
  2. Translate a conceptual model into a numerical model using MODFLOW, including discretization and boundary conditions.
  3. Calibrate a groundwater flow model using manual and automated parameter estimation (e.g., PEST).
  4. Evaluate model performance and uncertainty using residual analysis, objective functions, and sensitivity concepts.
  5. Apply a calibrated model for engineering decision-making, including pumping design, capture zone delineation, and remediation planning.

CLOs Supported:

Assessments:

Module 7: Contaminant Transport

At the completion of the module, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the main transport processes in groundwater: advection, dispersion, diffusion, sorption, and transformation.
  2. Define and compute key transport parameters, including seepage velocity, dispersion coefficient, and retardation factor.
  3. Differentiate linear and non-linear sorption and explain their effects on plume behavior and breakthrough curves.
  4. Formulate and apply the 1D advection–dispersion equation (ADE) under specified initial and boundary conditions.
  5. Use analytical solutions of the ADE to predict contaminant concentrations in time and space.

CLOs Supported:

Assessments:

3. Participation

Each module includes an exit ticket discussion post as part of the participation grade. Exit tickets are brief reflections designed to assess understanding, identify questions, and promote engagement. Students are also required to ask and answer participation questions for peer interaction. Participation is 10% of final grade .

4. Assessment

Assessment includes weekly homework assignments reinforcing module learning objectives, a comprehensive midterm exam, a modeling-based class project, and a paper review presentation.

Assessment plan totals 100%.

5. Evaluation

The Feedback and Learning Assessment Survey is conducted after each module to evaluate student learning, assess the difficulty and pacing of the content, and gather feedback for course improvements. This survey encourages self-reflection and helps the instructor refine instructional materials, ensuring a well-balanced and engaging learning experience.

6. Course Alignment Table

CLOs Module Assessments Instructional Materials Learning Activities Tools
CLO 1 – Water cycle & mass balance Module 1, Module 3 HW1, HW6–7, Midterm Lecture slides, recorded videos Water budget problems, hydraulic head calculations, flow net exercises Excel
CLO 2 – Lab & field data analysis Module 2, Module 4, Module 5, Module 6 HW2–5, HW8–10, HW11–12, Project Lecture slides, pumping test datasets, geophysical logs Darcy calculations, pumping test analysis, resistivity interpretation, parameter estimation Excel, MODFLOW
CLO 3 – Groundwater flow principles Module 2, Module 3, Module 4, Module 6, Module 7 HW3–9, HW11–12, Midterm, Project Lecture slides, worked examples Flow equation derivations, drawdown analysis, ADE solutions, modeling exercises Excel, MODFLOW
CLO 4 – Hydrologic–geologic–transport interactions Module 1, Module 2, Module 3, Module 4, Module 5, Module 7 HW1–10, HW13–14, Paper Review, Midterm Lecture slides, case studies, field examples Conceptual model development, contamination case discussion, system interaction analysis Excel
CLO 5 – Groundwater model setup & calibration Module 5, Module 6 HW11–12, Project MODFLOW tutorials, modeling guides Conceptual model development, calibration, scenario simulation MODFLOW
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