Effectiveness of activity based instructional strategies in construction management education

Abstract

Construction Management instructional methods preparing students for their careers are typically passive and reflective in nature. Most often, instructors present traditional lectures on technical and non-technical information while a student's success is measured through written exams pertaining to the topics covered. Often, the success students display in recall exams does not translate to the students' ability to demonstrate the practical application of their newly acquired knowledge. Identifying built examples representing the concepts that students appeared to understand during recall exams is often unsuccessful as well. Something has been lost in translation. Students often complain that there is no clear connection between the technical lectures and the built condition, even as it appears obvious to the more experienced instructors. The knowledge displayed by the students through written examinations appears to be understood as an abstraction, disconnected from the practical design and construction of the same. A literature review will help identify best practices that will help inform instructional methods within Midwestern College's construction management program. The purpose of the study will be to test one of these best practices, and its impact on students' application of visual literacy skills and the practical application of construction concepts.