Aims:
This first year module aims to:
- enthuse students about the construction industry and
their potential role in its future;
- make student aware of why they study the modules they
do;
- ensure students are aware of the relationship of modules
and the integration of the many and varied professional roles within
the construction industry;
- expose students to a live construction project that they
can follow from all stages including ground works through to practical
completion;
- gain an appreciation of the integrative nature of practical
and professional roles in the construction industry and how each role
is reliant upon the others;
- enable staff to relate their teaching to the teaching
of colleagues on other level-one modules;
- allow staff to relate their teaching
to a live situation for both practical and demonstration purposes.
Resources:
To run the module described in this case study requires:
- a suitable construction site in a convenient location;
- a willing Architect and Contractor;
- full construction drawings and specification;
- time to establish the site contacts;
- time to take students, in small groups, for a site visit;
- appropriate teaching materials.
Details:
Concern had been felt for a number of years by the staff teaching on
the construction courses at Coventry University that students studying
modular degree courses have a tendency to pigeon-hole their studies and
fail to see the relationship between the modules they are studying. Because
of this, their depth of understanding was often low. The students did
not comprehend why they were having to study construction, mechanics,
environmental, economics, planning, law, IT etc: often the view expressed
was 'what relevance have these subjects to my discipline? - I just need
what I need to do the job'. Students were failing to understand the inter-connections
between the different subjects. Each module has a different lecturer and
is frequently taught in a different building and faculty within the University
and, because of the nature of modular programs, module leaders focus their
attention on the learning outcomes of that particular module. Lecturing
time is precious and no time was allowed/available for relating their
work to that of other colleagues' modules from other disciplines.
The effect of all of these issues was that students' focus was sometimes
very narrow; real appreciation of the diverse nature of the construction
industry was never formed and students did not develop an enthusiasm for
what they were studying or the desire to do well.
With these issues in mind the course development team considered how
to address these problems. An opportunity for change arose with the quinquennial
review of the building courses. The level-one 'fire-up' module was devised:
the term 'fire-up' was chosen to state very clearly what the module was
aiming to do, i.e. fire-up the students' enthusiasm for their studies.
Students enrolling on one of the courses are required to purchase, and
read, a book on the construction industry prior to attending the induction
week program. This essential text (1) takes an integrative approach to
the construction industry. The module then aims to demonstrate how various
members of the building team integrate their work and relate to the total
construction process and develops the students' understanding of the practical
and professional relevance of their studies. It also addresses basic numerical,
literacy, communication and I.T. skills.
Regular site visits ensure that students gain an appreciation of the
progress and order in which a complex building is constructed. This enables
them to see the construction of the foundations through to the detailed
finishing stages. Students are able to ask questions about the process
and who is responsible, from a professional point of view, for the various
stages in the construction process. They can compare the theoretical drawing
studio work of, say, a foundation detail to the real life situation of
mud and seeming mess that is the reality of the construction site. Regular
site visits demonstrate in the best way possible how a complex structure
is put together and how each stage is dependant upon previous work if
progress is to be smooth and to programme. Students gain an appreciation
of the difficulty of programming a complex organisational matrix, as well
as the practical difficulties of using limited site storage areas to maximum
effect.
The site used for the 'fire-up' module.
The relationship of the site to taught subjects can be demonstrated in
a number of modules:
- Building Strength and Stability - mechanics coursework
on assessing floor loading, reactions, bending moments and shear force,
using the actual construction seen on drawing and on site visits;
- Economics - relating economic principals to the construction
site in lecturing;
- Drawing studio - the drawing of construction details
as seen on site visits;
- Design and Construction - relating actual site conditions
with the requirements of Health and Safety Legislation and design principals
- Internal Environment -relating theory of light, heat
and sound to the actual building being constructed;
- Land and Building Surveying - practical surveying work
relating to the setting out seen on site;
- Planning - reference made to the site and the considerations
the planners would apply to the site and proposed building;
- Law - practical assessment of the various liabilities
and duties of employer and employees, liabilities and remedies relating
to public and private nuisance, identify duties to others in negligence
and professional negligence.
Evaluation:
This module is in its first year of operation and no specific evaluation
data is available. The module will be the focus of module questionnaires,
which will cover the general issues and also will be subject to a specific
questionnaire to ensure that the aims and objectives have been reasonably
achieved. Staff will meet to discuss the module aims and objectives to
see if they need revising, and also to discuss the problems and benefits
of a module of this nature.
Benefits:
To the students:
- they can see how their studies relate to the construction
industry;
- a regular site visit enables them to appreciate the complexities
of the process and the reality of the construction site;
- site visits give opportunities for questions and dialogue
between staff and students, relating to a real project;
- the students gain a better appreciation of the inter-related
nature of the industry and they can see where the different professions
affect the construction process, decisions and responsibilities;
- they acquire a greater understanding of why individual
modules are studied and how they relate to each other.
To the staff:
- they have a live site to which they can relate when delivering
their modules;
- they have materials, (drawings and specification) to
which they can refer and use in their teaching;
- teaching material can be seen as relevant and up-to-date.
To the Institution:
- valuable contacts are made with local industry
and professional organisations facilitating, for example, help with
industrial training placements and graduate employment.
Issues and lessons to be learnt:
There are a number of lessons to be learnt from developing this module
which may prove difficult when replicating the module:
- time spent and opportunity for finding
a suitable local site;
- not all contractors and professionals can be persuaded
to help;
- all staff must to be committed to using the site, and
adjust, if necessary, their lecture and assessment strategies to suit.
Ongoing Developments:
A constant review of local construction sites in progress needs to take
place to ensure that the principles adopted can be continued in the following
academic year. Staff will need to constantly revise their material used
in lectures and assessments as the site changes each year. The 'fire-up'
module will require an annual review to ensure that the aims and objectives
of the module can be met each year given the changing nature of the available
site.
References, Further Reading and Sources of Further
related information:
- Osborn D. (1999), Introduction to Building, 2nd Edition, Mitchells
Series, Longmans, London.
|
