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Design and Use of Interactive Learning Stations in Construction Education for Building Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Systems

Abstract Over the past several years, the building codes that govern the design and installation of mechanical and electrical systems for buildings have become increasingly prescriptive in nature, specifying detailed information related to the design and installation of the systems, while offering no reasoning behind their prescriptive measures. Students now read about the design and installation of these systems in textbooks, and using the building codes, have in-class exercises drafting the systems, which in industry are used for fabrication and installation. Therefore, in conjunction with a new curriculum proposed for the construction management department at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo an interactive learning station was developed for student use to enhance student learning. This paper focuses on the design and use of interactive learning stations for building mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems that allow construction students to perform “hands-on” fit-up exercises and test their performance.

Introduction and Background

In recent years, there has been increasing consideration given to integrated curricula by construction engineering and management faculty and industry advisors. According to Hauck and Jackson3 each proposal has tried to address core problems associated with an overly segmented curriculum and the lack of project based learning in different ways. A model proposed by Hauck and Jackson3 attempts to teach construction management as a series of labs integrating the various construction management courses into an active, applied learning experience. Their integrated curriculum proposal for the construction management department is centered on the creation of seven project- based seminars. They are as follows:

Fundamentals of Construction Management Residential Construction Management Commercial Building Construction Management Heavy Civil Construction Management Specialty Contracting Construction Management Jobsite Construction Management Integrated Services Construction Management

Each of the project-based seminars is based on a model of seven quarter-hours of lab and activity credit for a total of nineteen (19) contact hours per week. Similar to a studio in an architecture curriculum, each seminar was proposed to be taught in a dedicated lab filled with models, samples, contracts, marketing documents, specifications, estimating guides, computer references, and other tools appropriate to that market sector and available to students in that seminar all day.

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Korman, T., & Simonian, L. (2008, June), Design And Use Of Interactive Learning Stations In Construction Education For Building Mechanical, Electrical, And Plumbing Systems Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3334