Exploring gamification approach in hazard identification training for Malaysian construction industry

In recent years gaming products have increasingly been used to enhance learning and training development in academic and commercial sectors. Games have become more pervasive; they have been adopted for use in many industries and sectors such as defense, medicine, architecture, education, and city planning and government as tools for workers development. In Malaysia, it has been reported that the construction industry holds the third highest record of occurrences of accidents at work. Therefore, safety training is inevitable to reduce the alarming rate of accidents on construction sites. However, currently, available safety training approaches are still lacking in terms of delivering hands-on training and are more theoretical- instead of being more practical-based. This is due to the nature of the construction environment itself in which safety training involving certain hazards that cannot be implemented hands-on as it may bring harm to trainers, trainees and the environment. Gaming is an approach that applies technology to provide an almost real experience with interactive field training, and also supporting the theory of learning by doing with real case scenario. The purpose of this paper is to seek and explore the differences in existing gamification genres such as simulation game, role-playing, action game, strategy game and etc. Data were collected through available literature. The findings of the study show that serious game is a suitable genre to be adopted as an approach in hazard identification training for the construction industry in Malaysia

Evaluating students readiness, expectancy, acceptance and effectiveness of augmented reality based construction technology education

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to enhance the teaching and learning experience in construction technology which involves the learning of construction processes and understanding the construction elements. Augmented reality also provides the ability to change and improve the nature of education. This is due to the possibility of overlaying media onto the real world for content consumption using smartphones and tablets devices, which enables students to access information anywhere and anytime. However, before implementing a new approach to teaching, the state of whether the students are ready to use AR have to be identified. This also goes toward what the students expect when using AR in learning, how do they accept using AR and effectiveness of using AR in learning. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to (1) Identify the readiness of students on using AR in teaching; (2) Identifying what do the students expect when using AR in learning construction technology; (3) Identifying the student’s acceptance of AR in learning; (4) The effectiveness of AR in construction technology learning. A quantitative method of analysis has been implemented measuring the mean score of objective 1-3 based on the student’s responses to the questionnaire. On the other hand, the second phase of the study which is to determine whether using AR is effective in learning was done by comparing pre-test and post-test results. Results from the study show assuring indicators that students accept the usage of AR in construction technology education, the application also fulfils their expectations on what AR could aid in the learning process and for student’s acceptance, the result shows that students accepted the usage of AR as a learning tool. Meanwhile, the results regarding AR effectiveness on construction technology displayed noticeable improvements regarding student’s pre-test and post-test results with 68% of students display improvements in their scores

Review of Green Building Demand Factors for Malaysia

Green building is redefining building practice and Malaysia is poised for early adoption in recognition of the potential economic and environmental benefits that accrue to it. Available reports tend towards the fact that there will be increase in demand for green buildings with the growth in environmental awareness and increase in corporate social responsibility among the companies as well as growing body of evidence demonstrating that green buildings make financial sense. Despite the growing interest, risks of uncertainties still cloud investment in green building. This paper examines Malaysia efforts to spure green building investment and demand with particlualr focus on Green Building Index (GBI) and the enabling green tax incentives. Subsequently the paper reviews potential factors that enhance green building in Malaysia as well as the underlying challenges and barriers. Based on the review, we can infer that the Malaysia green tax incentives for obtaining GBI certification are significant but not outstanding. They are inherent with notable criticisms and may not be sufficiently attractive to potential real estate investors. The review also empower us to hypothesize that the model of green building demand for Malaysia will comprise seven interrelated factors vis-a-avis:- quest for environmental sustainability, quest for increased productivity, quest for improved internal building conditions, quest for higher building value, quest for cost savings, quest for lower risks, and quest for branding and prestige. And that the nature and strength of relationship among the factors will be moderated by some of the challenges and barriers identified in the review. The paper will be useful to researches, practitioners and policy makers in real estate development and market seeking explanations for factors that could enhace demand for green building in Malaysia. Keywords: green building, green building demand, green building index, green building barriers, green building benefits

Construction player’s perception of training approach using serious game–A pilot study

Construction workers are always exposed to numerous occupational hazards of different kinds and levels of complexity in every project they engage in. Therefore, there is a need for training modules which can provide the knowledge to construction workers to acquire the skills necessary for occupational and environmental safety on site. However, current safety training still lacks hands-on approaches and it is theory-oriented. This is due to the nature of the construction environment itself in which hands-on approaches are impossible to be applied for certain types of hazards. Training which is assisted by technology is an effective tool in improving learning for not just for children but also for adults. Currently, serious game has become a new approach in training and learning not limited to the field of education but this approach has been applied across disciplines and areas including military, mining, transportation, oil and gas and also the construction industry. Therefore, this paper sought to review construction workers’ perceptions toward serious game as a training tool. Fifty players at various levels from the construction industry participated in a pilot study. A set of questionnaire was distributed to the participants during an occupational safety and hazard (OSH) training course with the cooperation of OSH state agency in the southern region of Peninsular Malaysia and also online. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data from the questionnaire. Preliminary findings of the pilot study indicated that construction workers had high expectation toward serious game in delivering hands-on training in safer environment. They also believed training module using serious game had the potential in creating affordable, interactive and entertaining training module for the industry. The study contributes to an understanding of occupational safety training needs in the construction industry for a safer, more affordable and interactive as well as entertaining approach

Evaluation of Job Satisfaction and Performance of Employees in Small and Medium Sized Construction Firms in Nigeria

Employees of small and medium sized construction firms, job satisfaction and job performance are key issues when studying the human behaviors and attitudes. The Nigerian Construction Industry is faced with challenges of employee performance which is affecting the organization’s productivity, quality of work, duration of projects and finally on firm’s profits. This paper aims to perform job analysis of personnel in the Nigerian construction industry, identify the level of job satisfaction of employees in small and medium sized firms, and examine the level of job performance of personnel, to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance of employee. Data was collected from employees in Nigerian small and medium sized construction firms through questionnaire to access the perception towards the level of satisfaction and performance. The questionnaire is a modified version of the Job Satisfaction Index questionnaire (JSI) and Performance Rating Index questionnaire (PRI). The mean score analysis identified ranking for the factors significant to job satisfaction and performance, which found that satisfaction with coworkers ranked highest with a mean score of 3.62 while satisfaction with pay ranked the lowest with a mean score of 2.56. The Job performance ranking found that personnel appearance ranked highest with a mean score of 3.70 while satisfaction with propensity to leave the company ranked the lowest with a mean score of 2.46. The paper also found that there is positive relationship between overall job satisfaction and job performance in small and medium sized firms. Several variables on Job management showed significant differences

Enhancing the graduates’ employability and career development through building information modelling intensive training

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an emerging technological process which highly promotes a better collaborative working environment in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. It is essential that the Higher Education (HE) sector innovates its education system to integrate between different disciplines in the AEC industry to encourage the adoption of BIM. In conjunction with this, BIM Intensive Training was conducted for a selected number of final year undergraduate students at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. They were assigned a real time construction project, utilizing BIM software applications for model authoring, model review, 4D modelling and project coordination. It was observed that the participants were able to overcome various challenges through information sharing and team collaboration. A BIM coordination workflow was produced during the training to assist them in organizing their work. Although their existing knowledge of BIM and their skills using the software applications were quite limited, they were capable in learning expeditiously as the assignment provided them with real-world problems. A year after the training, more than half of the participants agreed that the training had helped them to secure their employment and excel in their current involvements in BIM-based projects. However, due to the current scenario many firms are yet to embrace BIM, there are participants who could not utilize the training. Hence, the establishment of a dynamic and continuous collaboration between professionals and HE sector is the way forward in transforming the traditional structure of AEC industry into a more collaborative and technological approach

A new perspective on the relationship between the construction industry performance and the economy outcome- a literature review

The attempts to analyze the relationship between the construction industry and economic growth have integrated many different methods. The process has become to be perceived as “construction economics” analysis. It is conceptualized as a procedure where construction industries outcomes implement increasingly more relevant for nation’s development benefits throughout mostly economic interdependencies that are emphasized as financial sources. Concurring with the present-day standards for affirming an industry, in considerably most facets of analysis result interpreted on a solely economic aspect which is not a conspicuous and significant indicator for construction industry initiates through its resolution outcome. Whereas proceed competently and developed directions from scholars or experts are the determinants of success that emerge due to reviews of relevant practical and research inferences. Literature for analysis on output in the construction industry within the economics aspect is further inscribed in detail. Consequently, relocating the ideology used to examine construction activates implications on development augmentation and shifts the schemes for classifying construction output in the numerous conservative analytic techniques towards more functional delineation. Considering and optimize more relevant details in the systematic process of quantifying the construction value analysis will implicate a reflected actual and detailed results of industrial or enterprise entities on both theoretical and empirical perception for construction economics

Confirmatory Strategic Information Technology Implementation for Building Information Modelling Adoption Model

Information technology (IT) developments in the construction industry require a proportionate response by construction professionals. Building information modelling (BIM) requires strategic changes to the traditional ways construction is carried out. BIM adoption in Malaysia is growing because of recent efforts to sensitise construction professionals on the need for strategic IT implementation. This paper builds on the theory of business process reengineering and computer integrated construction for a BIM adoption model. Data were collected from 352 construction professionals (architects, quantity surveyors, engineers and contractors). The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18 for descriptive modelling and Analysis of Moment of Structures (AMOS) version 18 for structural equation modelling. Descriptive results showed a high prevalence of the need for BIM competent professionals. Multivariate results revealed a high correlation within the measurement model for business process re-engineering and computer integrated construction. The second-order confirmatory model showed that business process reengineering and computer integrated construction had a high impact on strategic IT Implementation. Overall, the model validated the conceptual framework of the impact of strategic IT implementation on the adoption rate of BIM in the perception of construction industry professionals in Malaysia. The result denotes the first part of the full adoption model, which can be compared with the adoption rate in other countries. Subsequent research using a diverse sample selection focuses on the mediating effect of collaboration on BIM adoption

Environment variables on IT adoption: a case of Nigerian construction organizations

Pirm’s external environment combines many attributes and plays a vital role in IT adoption. Technological innovations are adopted as organizational reactions to change and for influencing the business environment. This study examined the effect of external environment on IT adoption in construction organizations. Specifically, the study empirically explores the external variables, assessed their effects and determined how they can optimally be combined to enable IT acceptance. The data collected was analysed using structural equation modelling analytical approach. Results of the analysis revealed that external environment strongly influence firm’s IT adoption with a path coefficient of 0.70 and a z-value of 10.5. Furthermore, a confirmatory factor analysis conducted confirmed competitive pressure, government support and market uncertainty as the most significant variables of firm’s external environment in relation to IT implementation with a standardized parameter estimates of 0.75, 0.51 and -0.41 respectively. Precisely, competitive pressure and government support were strongly and positively related to IT adoption while market uncertainty exhibited a strong but negative relationship. It was recommended that managers of construction organizations should, strategically, overcome the pressures they exert from their competitors for improved market share and general organizational performance. Furthermore, government should strive to provide adequate IT infrastructures and enablers within its responsibilities such as adequate electricity, incentives and clear IT policy

A review of potential areas of construction cost estimating and identification of research gaps

The models structure of construction cost and price forecasting underlie all the techniques being used and yet until quite recently, industry has still not getting familiar with their attributes and characteristics. Without a good comprehension of the various types of cost model, effective cost control and the development of future forecasting techniques are studied. The central theme of this paper is that cost estimating financial and non-financial information includes all the information which quantity surveyors and estimators need to manage effectively to lead their firms to competitive success. However, the specific role of cost estimating in the quantity surveying and contracting firms differ depending on the firm’s competitive strategy, organizations, and the management functions to which cost estimating is applied. Meanwhile, changes in the business environment have amended the nature of competition and the types of techniques that quantity surveyors and estimators use to succeed in their businesses including globalization, advances in construction technologies, advances in information technologies, the internet and e-commerce, client centered, new forms of management organization, and changes in the social, political, and cultural environment of business. As a result, some of the relevant potential areas of construction cost estimating have been recognized and being discussed further in this article