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Experiential Learning: Using Small-scale Projects to Teach Project Complexities and Relationship Roles in Construction

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Conference

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Columbus, Ohio

Publication Date

June 24, 2017

Start Date

June 24, 2017

End Date

June 28, 2017

Conference Session

Construction 2: Teaching Using Projects, Case Studies, and Service Learning

Tagged Division

Construction

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--28324

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/28324

Download Count

1006

Paper Authors

biography

Justin Earl Weidman Brigham Young University

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Justin Weidman is an Assistant Professor in Construction Management at Brigham Young University. He earned his PhD from Virginia Tech in Environmental Design and Planning.

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biography

Clifton B. Farnsworth Brigham Young University

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Clifton Farnsworth received B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Utah. He worked as a geotechnical engineer for eight years with the Utah Department of Transportation, spent three years as an Assistant Professor of civil engineering at The University of Texas at Tyler, and has a current appointment as an Assistant Professor of construction and facilities management at Brigham Young University.

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Abstract

Experiential learning opportunities give students to the ability understand the implications of principles and theories learned in the classroom through lived experiences. This article examines the use of a construction project simulation activity to teach project management principles in an undergraduate construction management course. After a description of the experiential learning theory and relevant literature examining simulations in education, it provides an overview of the methods used to create the experience of small scale design–bid-build project simulation in a project management course. Students participated as designated contractual players in the project and went through the project from inception to completion over the course of 5 weeks. Finally, it offers a brief discussion of the implications of the findings for construction management and engineering education, specifically that simulations possess the potential to provide unique learning opportunities particularly, simulated experiences triggering different emotions within the structures of the traditional classroom.

Weidman, J. E., & Farnsworth, C. B. (2017, June), Experiential Learning: Using Small-scale Projects to Teach Project Complexities and Relationship Roles in Construction Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--28324

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