Developing digital literacy in construction management education: a design thinking led approach

Alongside the digital innovations in AEC (Architectural, Engineering and Construction) practice, are calls for a new type of digital literacy, including a new information-based literacy informed by creativity, critical analysis and the theoretical and practical knowledge of the construction profession. This paper explores the role of design thinking and the promotion of abductive problem situations when developing digital literacies in construction education. The impacts of advanced digital modelling technologies on construction management practices and education are investigated before an examination of design thinking, the role of abductive reasoning and the rise of normative models of design thinking workflows. The paper then explores the role that design thinking can play in the development of new digital literacies in contemporary construction studies. A three-part framework for the implementation of a design thinking approach to construction is presented. The paper closes with a discussion of the importance of models of design thinking for learning and knowledge production, emphasising how construction management education can benefit from them

Volunteer tourism and architecture students: what motivates and can best prepare them

This paper explores student attitudes toward volunteering in the context of university-led building development programs, raising questions about the practice of volunteering and its contribution to community development. Focusing on students undertaking tertiary education in Western countries, this literature-based study firstly explores the perceptions and motivations behind volunteering, and secondly discusses its developmental impact on low-income communities

Collocational knowledge in children: a comparison of English-speaking monolingual children, and children acquiring English as an Additional Language

Collocations, e.g., apples and pears, hard worker, constitute an important avenue of linguistic enquiry straddling both grammar and the lexicon. They are sensitive to language experience, with adult L2 learners and children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) exhibiting poor collocational knowledge. The current study piloted a novel collocational assessment with children (mean age 6;3, 40 monolingual, 32 EAL). It investigated (1) the feasibility of a collocational assessment at this age, (2) whether collocational knowledge is associated with other language domains (receptive grammar and vocabulary), and (3) whether collocational knowledge is more affected than other domains. The assessment demonstrated good psychometric properties and was highly correlated with performance in other domains, indicating shared psycholinguistic mechanisms. Unlike adult counterparts, the EAL children performed equally poorly across domains. Given the role played by collocations in vocabulary development and reading, a focus on this domain may be beneficial for EAL children

Impact of primary kidney disease on the effects of empagliflozin in patients with chronic kidney disease: secondary analyses of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Background: The EMPA KIDNEY trial showed that empagliflozin reduced the risk of the primary composite outcome of kidney disease progression or cardiovascular death in patients with chronic kidney disease mainly through slowing progression. We aimed to assess how effects of empagliflozin might differ by primary kidney disease across its broad population. Methods: EMPA-KIDNEY, a randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial, was conducted at 241 centres in eight countries (Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the UK, and the USA). Patients were eligible if their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 20 to less than 45 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or 45 to less than 90 mL/min per 1·73 m2 with a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) of 200 mg/g or higher at screening. They were randomly assigned (1:1) to 10 mg oral empagliflozin once daily or matching placebo. Effects on kidney disease progression (defined as a sustained ≥40% eGFR decline from randomisation, end-stage kidney disease, a sustained eGFR below 10 mL/min per 1·73 m2, or death from kidney failure) were assessed using prespecified Cox models, and eGFR slope analyses used shared parameter models. Subgroup comparisons were performed by including relevant interaction terms in models. EMPA-KIDNEY is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594110. Findings: Between May 15, 2019, and April 16, 2021, 6609 participants were randomly assigned and followed up for a median of 2·0 years (IQR 1·5–2·4). Prespecified subgroupings by primary kidney disease included 2057 (31·1%) participants with diabetic kidney disease, 1669 (25·3%) with glomerular disease, 1445 (21·9%) with hypertensive or renovascular disease, and 1438 (21·8%) with other or unknown causes. Kidney disease progression occurred in 384 (11·6%) of 3304 patients in the empagliflozin group and 504 (15·2%) of 3305 patients in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·71 [95% CI 0·62–0·81]), with no evidence that the relative effect size varied significantly by primary kidney disease (pheterogeneity=0·62). The between-group difference in chronic eGFR slopes (ie, from 2 months to final follow-up) was 1·37 mL/min per 1·73 m2 per year (95% CI 1·16–1·59), representing a 50% (42–58) reduction in the rate of chronic eGFR decline. This relative effect of empagliflozin on chronic eGFR slope was similar in analyses by different primary kidney diseases, including in explorations by type of glomerular disease and diabetes (p values for heterogeneity all >0·1). Interpretation: In a broad range of patients with chronic kidney disease at risk of progression, including a wide range of non-diabetic causes of chronic kidney disease, empagliflozin reduced risk of kidney disease progression. Relative effect sizes were broadly similar irrespective of the cause of primary kidney disease, suggesting that SGLT2 inhibitors should be part of a standard of care to minimise risk of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease. Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and UK Medical Research Council

Blurred edges: multidisciplinary structures of management in Diller, Scofidio + Renfro

Examining the existing management structures that are internal to architectural practice, as well as the historical formation of the discipline of architecture, this paper will investigate the relationship between collaboration, multi-disciplinary teamwork and creativity in the organization of architectural practice. Focusing on the important model of Skunk Works, and with a particular emphasis on the design practices of Diller, Scofidio + Renfro in architecture, this paper will examine the horizontal and vertical management of organizations and the opportunities for innovation and invention that are enabled within it. The paper opens onto a broader argument about the disciplinary constraints of architectural production and the enabling perspectives offered by cross-disciplinary collaboration

Proposing a new model for organizational change management

To remain competitive and relevant it is necessary for organizations to undergo constant change, yet two-thirds of all organizational change initiatives fail. This paper proposes the novel application of an Adult Mentoring Model which has been revised and extended to address this issue. The Adult Mentoring Model aims to create an environment that is both challenging and supportive for the effective mentoring of an individual. This paper proposes to extend this model by introducing a number of strategically aligned components that can deliver organizational change. The challenges are provided by the following four linked hierarchically-applied components: the case for change; key performance indicators and targets; data collection and reporting; and performance management and governance. To balance these challenges the following four components provide support during change: business process redesign; knowledge management; training and development; and reward and recognition. Maintaining a balance between sufficient support and adequate challenge provides a valuable structural framework for implementing organizational change. This paper's revised mentoring model potentially provides a more practical and flexible solution to deliver successful change

Evidence-based retail and commercial planning for Australian university campuses

The nature of university campuses in Australia is changing. Retail and commercial activities are becoming increasingly important on campus, especially since the change from compulsory to voluntary student union fees. While decisions about retail and commercial activities in the private sector are carefully planned, retail and commercial growth on university campuses has been more reactive and opportunistic to date. As opposed to traditional retail areas, such as those in suburban and city centres, there is currently no evidence-based retail and commercial methodology to assist with the master planning of University campuses in Australia. This paper describes a proposed methodology to assist in this important and growing area of campus master planning

A project alliance approach for the procurement of Indigenous social housing in Australia

The standard of living conditions for indigenous Australians in remote areas of the Northern Territory (NT) is widely acknowledged as being below standards the remainder of the population is accustomed to. Project delivery programs have failed to address issues of overcrowding, poor living conditions and insufficient infrastructure that have proved to be a primary contributor to indigenous disadvantage leading to poor health, reduced life expectancy, and social, economic and cultural. Delivery methods for indigenous social housing and infrastructure is in need of reform to overcome the mounting problems and to address continuing disadvantage of indigenous communities. A current Government initiative is the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastucture Program (SIHIP) which is using an Alliance approach to deliver the planning, design and construction stages for social housing. Project Alliancing is a form of relational contracting that provides value for money, fosters trust, manages team goals, attracts multi-disciplinary expertise and encourages innovation in order to develop the best possible solutions for project delivery. Alliancing is characterised by project arrangements which ensure that risk is shared across all participants under a pain/gain-share system to overcome previous problems with traditional contractual approaches which have have been adversarial and inefficient. Through a case study approach, this paper analyses the SIHIP Project Alliance framework and focuses on specific outcomes of the Alliance partners. The SIHIP was particularly successful in terms of redefining program management principles, integrating community consultation and cultural considerations and devlivering sustainable housing projects for indigenous Australians

Challenges in retaining architecture undergraduates for post-graduate studies

The University of Newcastle is one of the eighteen universities offering architecture programs in Australia, with programs at both undergraduate (Bachelor of Design Architecture) and Masters (Master of Architecture) degree levels, and with a student body of 386. Over the past five years there has been an average 40–50% drop in students who commence the post-graduate degree after completing the undergraduate degree. Using enrolment data and data from student focus groups, key issues affecting continuation to the post-graduate degree were identified, which included dissatisfaction with the course and an inability to secure work locally. Focus groups with staff developed solutions to address these and other issues. The issues and solutions fell into the following four categories: curriculum, cultural, industry linkages, and marketing. Based upon this study, a plan was developed to enable the program structure and its delivery to be refined and to improve the student experience. While the study is drawn from data compiled from a single source, it provides an insight into the changing culture of architectural education nationally and the flow-on effect of the Bachelor/Masters restructuring. It also highlights issues facing regional institutions in the increasingly urbanised context of architectural education

Anthropological quests in architecture: pursuing the human subject

In this paper, we explore what architectural practice and, more specifically, the architectural research domain, may gain from the theoretical and methodological premise of anthropology and ethnography. The paper explores a historical link between anthropology and architecture as academic disciplines, arguing that the disciplines are aligned through anthropology's search for understanding the conditions of humanity and architecture's role in forming these very conditions. We do not intend to explicate the individual disciplines but are interested in the crossover between the two and, more specifically, what insights anthropology and ethnography may offer to the discipline of architecture. We consider the relationship between anthropology and architecture, as both a research domain and a profession, and question how anthropology-as an approach to research more so than a discipline-can contribute to the advancement of architectural practice and research