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Increasing Student Construction Interest by Engaging Elementary Students in an Inquiry-Based 3D Modelling After School Program

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Conference

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Salt Lake City, Utah

Publication Date

June 23, 2018

Start Date

June 23, 2018

End Date

July 27, 2018

Conference Session

Construction Division Technical Session 2: K-12 through Adult Learning

Tagged Division

Construction Engineering

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--30650

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/30650

Download Count

943

Paper Authors

biography

Geoff Wright Brigham Young University

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Dr. Geoffrey A. Wright is a professor of Technology and Engineering Studies in the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology at Brigham Young University.

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biography

Justin Earl Weidman Brigham Young University

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

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Abstract

Increasing Student Construction Interest by Engaging Elementary Students in an Inquiry-Based 3D Modelling After School Program

This study was part of a two-year funded grant investigating how to increase student interest and consequent enrollment in construction education. The specifics of this aspect of the study involved a grass-roots movement where construction education was introduced to elementary students (grades 4 – 6). The research model involved giving the students a construction interest inventory and career placement inventory pre and post participation in an after-school 3D modeling construction centric curriculum. The curriculum introduced students to the construction fields by giving the students weekly snapshots into construction careers and then required the students to learn about floor and elevation plans. Students were then taught and expected to design a 3D computer model of a home using Minecraft and Sketchup. The students were provided 4 different models to choose from. The course used a competition based pedagogy where the best home designs were awarded prizes. The results show that student interest after this single intervention (1 semester in length) increased student interest in careers associated to construction.

Wright, G., & Weidman, J. E. (2018, June), Increasing Student Construction Interest by Engaging Elementary Students in an Inquiry-Based 3D Modelling After School Program Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30650

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