Asee peer logo

The Physical Learning Environment’s Impact on Higher Education Programs: Student Perception of Learning, Satisfaction, and Sense of Belonging in a Construction Management Program

Download Paper |

Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Construction Engineering Division (CONST) Technical Session 2

Tagged Division

Construction Engineering Division (CONST)

Page Count

23

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44476

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/44476

Download Count

323

Paper Authors

biography

Veto Matthew Ray Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis

visit author page

Mr. Matt Ray is the Director of the Facilities Management Technology Program and lecturer for both the Facility Management and Construction Management Programs offered through the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. He has been with the school for the past 14 years. He is a graduate of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology receiving degrees in Construction Technology, Architectural Technology, and a Master’s in Facility Management. His field experience includes residential and light commercial construction. He has been an architectural designer as well as superintendent for single and multi-family residential construction projects. Mr. Ray worked as an engineering design manager in the Building Components Manufacturing Industry for over fifteen years.

visit author page

author page

Emily McLaughlin

biography

Brenda Morrow Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis

visit author page

Brenda Morrow is a Lecturer of Interior Design in the School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She is NCIDQ certified and a Registered Interior Designer (RID) in Indiana. Her focus includes innovative course development and the impact of built environments on human well-being with positive outcomes.

visit author page

Download Paper |

Abstract

This research paper is focused on the physical learning environment’s impact on higher education programs. The ability to attract, recruit, and retain students is essential for the success of programs and is highly dependent on student satisfaction. With space being such a huge commodity on most campuses, the push and pull of research and teaching needs may leave a program with few dedicated spaces with most teaching spaces falling under general inventory classrooms serving the greater student population. Limited dedicated program space has led to a rise in flexible modular designs that are necessary to support diverse learning activities and modes of delivery in a single space. It is imperative that programs invest in their spaces where possible to meet the needs of their students ensuring student satisfaction with the program, students’ positive perception of learning, and a sense of belonging to the program. In an effort to understand the physical learning environment’s impact on an undergraduate construction management program and to provide a positive impact on the program’s future success, a proposal was developed to receive an internal learning environment grant. The proposal included surveying the program’s students, faculty, and constituents; identifying immediate needs that could be addressed and planning for the future. This report will discuss the survey results, additional baseline data collected and the changes implemented upon receiving the grant. Future data collection will be identified for comparison and as a measure of success. The initial anonymous student survey included 43 questions and was sent to the entire construction management student population. Faculty and constituent surveys consisted of 30 questions. Additional data has been collected using individual course evaluations to target specific courses and learning activities within the given space.

Ray, V. M., & McLaughlin, E., & Morrow, B. (2023, June), The Physical Learning Environment’s Impact on Higher Education Programs: Student Perception of Learning, Satisfaction, and Sense of Belonging in a Construction Management Program Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44476

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2023 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015