Preface

Preface
【1】Weaknesses of the traditional construction management education model
The traditional construction management education model is not satisfactorily fulfilling its mission of educating the project managers of tomorrow. This understanding has moved several researchers to explore a better learning model where problem-solving is carried out in connection with the situational simulation environment. Several efforts have been undertaken to develop these situational learning environments. This book
u describes the conceptual framework and
u pilots implementation of such a learning environment.

The introduction of reliable practice in construction management education has always been challenging. Current construction management coursework teaches only the theories of construction management. Students may encounter difficulties of applying these theoretical principles when they are exposed to real world situation upon employment. Current teaching methods are not fully capable of providing learners with all the skills necessary to define and solve real-world problems encountered in construction industry; Current teaching methods are not fully capable of conveying enough knowledge of construction management.

Traditional construction management education produces the result where the learner and the learning circumstances are disconnected. Under this learning pattern, the concepts taught in class room are presented as fixed, well-structured entities independent from real world. Learning activities are separated from real world in construction industry resulting in fragmentation of courses and educational experiences.

The training courses give particular attention to some aspects of real world and fail to teach learners to understand the whole of real world. Learners’ fragmented knowledge is naturally weak. Therefore, the learners are unable to apply what they have learned to true practice. Separating the learner from the real-world learning circumstances can cause the knowledge itself to become without power to act and irrelevant. This is because of the following causes;
l Separating the learner from the real-world learning circumstances will eliminate the natural complexity of the real-world learning circumstances;
l It will over simplify relations between key elements of the real-world problems;
l It will lack training in true problem inquiry and solving;

It will create the ancillary effects of extinguishing creativity and diminishing learning enthusiasm (Barab et al. 2001). In conclusion, the traditional construction management education model is not satisfactorily fulfilling its mission of educating the decision makers of tomorrow.

【2】Needs for the Situational learning environments
What are the effective methods of improving the above-mentioned weaknesses of traditional construction management education? There are some learning methods to generate usable and robust knowledge:
l Case studies;
l Construction site visits;
l Simulation environment.

Case studies and construction site visits have been used by construction faculty as a means to generate usable and robust knowledge with partial success. However, case studies can give the impression that there are easy-to-find correct responses due to the necessary simplifications (Pennell et al. 1997). Site visits of large groups to construction sites may have the following shortcomings (Echeverry 1996).:
l It may not be welcome;
l It may involve risk;
l It may be unpractical

This understanding has moved several researchers to explore some better learning methods where the training of problem solving is carried out in conjunction with the real world environment. These efforts have led to the generation of gaming and simulation environments such as
l CONSTRUCTO (Halpin and Woodhead 1970)
l AROUSAL (Ndekugri and Lansley 1992)
l Superbid (AbouRizk 1993),
l STRATEGY (McCabe et al. 2000), and
l VIRCON (Jaafari et al. 2001).
These situational simulations can take full advantage of the situational learning model. Situational learning can be defined as a meaningful and practically functional training approach where learners build their own understanding through rich environments. The Situational learning environments can encourage explanation and discovery. In situational learning environments, teachers change their role from telling learners correct answers to guiding their actions in learning activities. This learning method can embody personally meaningful and practically functional representations (Barab et al. 2001). In situational learning environments, knowledge is naturally linked to its environments encouraging rich conceptual understanding.. This teaching model is in clear opposition to original type of traditional teaching activity. This may be a hateful teaching model for those accustomed to the traditional lecture-based models.

However, the utilization of active learning approaches has been recognized as a fundamental strategy to restructuring construction management education (NSF 1995). This is because learners learn more effectively when they can actively participate in the learning process (Chi et al. 1989).