Construction Industry Training Assessment Framework

The construction industry suffers from a lack of structured assessment methods to consistently gauge the efficacy of workforce training programs. To address this issue, this study presents a framework for construction industry training assessment that identifies established practices rooted in evaluation science and developed from a review of archival construction industry training literature. Inclusion criteria for the evaluated studies are: archival training studies focused on the construction industry workforce and integration of educational theory in training creation or implementation. Literature meeting these criteria are summarized and a case review is presented detailing assessment practices and results. The assessment practices are then synthesized with the Kirkpatrick Model to analyze how closely industry assessment corresponds with established training evaluation standards. The study culminates in a training assessment framework created by integrating practices described in the identified studies, established survey writing practices, and the Kirkpatrick Model. This study found that two-thirds of reviewed literature used surveys, questionnaires, or interviews to assess training efficacy, two studies that used questionnaires to assess training efficacy provided question text, three studies measured learning by administering tests to training participants, one study measured changed behavior as a result of training, and one study measured organizational impact as a result of training

Research on safety evaluation of assembly building construction by integrating entropy power method and network analysis model

Unlike the traditional construction mode of rough operation, assembly building construction implements the concept of green development in terms of energy consumption and environmental adaptability. Although assembly construction can effectively reduce construction energy consumption and improve the environmental resilience of building construction work, there is an urgent need for an effective safety assessment model for construction development due to the imperfect operation system and harsh construction environment in the construction industry. Therefore, the study analyzes the relationship of construction safety factors by using Analytic Network Process (ANP) to filter safety evaluation indexes according to the importance ranking. At the same time, the objective weights of safety indicators were determined by the entropy weight method, and the subjective weights determined by the ANP method were combined to construct the safety evaluation model for the construction of assembled buildings. The experiment shows that the maximum similarity between the comprehensive evaluation results of the model in the simulation of safety evaluation of high-rise residential construction and the actual evaluation criteria is 0.772. The experiment proves the reliability of the evaluation of the model, which reduces the safety loopholes and operation hazards for the construction of assembled buildings

Creating Stimulating Learning And Thinking Using New Models Of Activity-Based Learning And Metacognitive-Based Activities

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel way to stimulate learning, creativity, and thinking based on a new understanding of activity-based learning (ABL) and two methods for developing metacognitive-based activities for the classroom. ABL, in this model, is based on the premise that teachers are distillers and facilitators of information who scaffold learning based on the foundations that learners build outside of the classroom from the deployment self-facilitated metacognitive aptitudes. In the ABL model presented in this paper, teachers develop learner self-regulation and self-facilitation by stating expectations that promote learner responsibility while integrating instructional strategies to foster activity-based learning through a new paradigm of thinking based on awareness, evaluation and implementation (AEI), and a new construction-deconstruction connectionist (CDC) model of learning

Building Information Modeling Integrated with Electronic Commerce Material Procurement and Supplier Performance Management System

Traditional construction material procurement is being replaced by electronic commerce construction material procurement now. Building Information Modeling (BIM) has shown benefit and practical value in construction material quantity takeoff and cost estimate. However, very few efforts have been directed to the application and integration of BIM in e-commerce material procurement. The author compares the present commercial BIM and non-BIM based quantity takeoff and cost estimate software, presents one solution to link the BIM with RSMeans Unit Price cost data to generate more accurate cost estimate reports, identifies the possibility and potential benefit of integrating BIM and e-commerce software solutions in material cost estimate and procurement process, designs one weight coefficient based model to evaluate the performance of material suppliers, proposes a framework to integrate BIM with e-commerce in material procurement and supplier performance evaluation process, and develops a preliminary display version of BIM integrated with e-commerce software system

Educational Theory-Embedded Training for Construction Industry Professionals

Workforce training is needed throughout the construction industry to create and maintain competent workers; unfortunately, most construction training and education research focuses on university student education. The focus of this dissertation research is the current state of educational-theory embedded construction workforce training, how such trainings are effective, and how they may be further optimized based on established educational theory. This is accomplished through a review of construction training for current industry professionals, an evaluation of the assessment criteria used to measure effectiveness, followed by the creation of a framework for construction training. There is a lack of recommendations for improvement of construction training across the industry. To establish the current state of construction industry training, a review of education theory-integrated training for construction professionals is undertaken. To measure the extent of educational theory integration, this dissertation summarizes studies that meet inclusion criteria, identifies the frequency of occurrence of Bloom’s Taxonomy verbs as a measure of student learning outcomes, and identifies and compares commonly used words within the identified construction training literature and foundational educational theory literature. The results provide a baseline of education theory-integrated construction training research, from which gaps and best practices can be identified. Existing construction training programs are not properly measured for effectiveness. A review of the current methodologies used in construction trainings published in archival literature is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs. These practices are compared against the Kirkpatrick Model, an evaluation framework. The assessment methodologies in the literature are synthesized with corresponding levels found in the Kirkpatrick Model. Properly integrating educational theory into construction workforce training has the potential to improve industry training; however, there is a dearth of studies that present details of this integration process. To address this gap, a training framework is created to educate material installers on material properties, selection, and installation. This framework is based on andragogical and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. An assessment tool provides a method of evaluating similar training agendas to improve instructional design before training implementation. The created framework culminates by establishing linkages from educational theory to proposed training modules

An integrated product and process information modelling system for on-site construction

The inadequate infrastructure that exists for seamless project team communications has its roots in the problems arising from fragmentation, and the lack of effective co-ordination between stages of the construction process. The use of disparate computer-aided engineering (CAE) systems by most disciplines is one of the enduring legacies of this problem and makes information exchange between construction team members difficult and, in some cases, impossible. The importance of integrating modelling techniques with a view to creating an integrated product and process model that is applicable to all stages of a construction project's life cycle, is being recognised by the Construction Industry. However, improved methods are still needed to assist the developer in the definition of information model structures, and current modelling methods and standards are only able to provide limited assistance at various stages of the information modelling process. This research investigates the role of system integration by reviewing product and process information models, current modelling practices and modelling standards in the construction industry, and draws conclusions with similar practices from other industries, both in terms of product and process representation, and model content. It further reviews various application development tools and information system requirements to support a suitable integrated information structure, for developing an integrated product and process model for design and construction, based on concurrent engineering principles. The functional and information perspectives of the integrated model, which were represented using IDEFO and the unified modelling language (UML), provided the basis for developing a prototype hyper-integrated product and process information modelling system (HIPPY). Details of the integrated conceptual model's implementation, practical application of the prototype system, using house-building as an example, and evaluation by industry practitioners are also presented. It is concluded that the effective integration of product and process information models is a key component of the implementation of concurrent engineering in construction, and is a vital step towards providing richer information representation, better efficiency, and the flexibility to support life cycle information management during the construction stage of small to medium sized-building projects

Investigating Students’ Perception Using Construction Management Simulations

Today, construction programs are incorporating a wide variety of active learning methods in their curricula to improve student learning outcomes and induce a more knowledge retention rate. Simulations and educational games are one of the fast growing and effective active learning methods that have been implemented in many programs. However, there are few instances of such learning methods applied in construction programs and a limited number of research projects have been conducted to investigate short-term and long-term outcomes of these methods and applications. This paper presents construction students’ perceptions of tested simulations with regards to the features, knowledge gained, level interest, and important aspects of simulations in integrating simulations in construction program curricula. Two construction management simulation applications were designed, developed, and tested with students with limited or no previous construction knowledge at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Based on Dale’s Cone of Learning instructional model, this study aims to investigate the same sample group’s perception regarding their experience with simulations after a two-year intervention, when they were juniors or seniors. Construction engineering and management students were selected for this study and a self-evaluation survey was utilized to determine their perceived knowledge and identify the effectiveness of the method. Results indicate the students’ responses in various areas have similar patterns in their corresponding areas right after playing the simulations

Evaluation Framework for Social Impact on the E-Co-Housing Project in Budapest

In Europe, today's affordable housing and co-housing projects represent complex products, complementing the physical intervention with economic and social techniques. This means that purely environmental and economical evaluation is not sufficient for these projects. While environmental and economical evaluation methodologies are widespread and advanced in the construction sector, methodologies to evaluate the social impacts of housing projects are rarely used and therefore underdeveloped.This study elaborates a framework to evaluate and monitor the social impacts of a complex social housing and co-housing project. The method adopted implements the Social Life Cycle Assessment, integrating a Post Occupancy Evaluation as the main tool for collecting and analysing data. The presented assessment framework is elaborated for the E-Co-Housing Model, a new experimental model so far as the development of affordable housing in Budapest is concerned. However, it delivers a starting point for more complex sustainability analysis of residential buildings in general.The guideline for the Evaluation Framework is the methodology of the Social Life Cycle Assessment of Products, clarifying and improving some of its usual elements. The study of the E-Co-Housing Model shows that housing products, especially affordable and co-housing projects significantly differ from other products. The differences are their main stakeholder groups, their life cycle stages and in their impact ways too. Therefore, housing products need a special S-LCA methodology to assess in a balanced way the complex aspects of its environmental, economic, and social sustainability