Assessing an Online Tool to Promote Sustainability Competencies in Construction Engineering Education
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 145, Issue 1
Abstract
Sustainability is an important component of engineering design and construction; however, recent research has shown that engineering education remains inefficient in teaching students basic principles of sustainable development. This research documents 2 years of using an online tool to promote learning of sustainability principles in construction education. Autodesk’s Building Performance Analysis (BPA) online modules were assigned in a sustainable construction class. Over the course of two semesters, students were required to complete tutorials and earn the BPA Certificate. Student feedback and assessments were collected after each module, as well as after final group presentations. Autodesk has stated that BPA online coursework “provides a high-level understanding of the issues involved in sustainable, high-performance building design.” Overall, students concurred that the modules enhanced their learning experience both in regard to specific course material and sustainable building principles, which include topics related to energy, climate, solar, wind, daylight, and whole building analysis. Specifically, findings suggest that the online training material enhanced sustainable competencies in both systems thinking and change-agents skills. Opinions regarding the effectiveness of BPA training and delivery were compared to those of students who completed another online training to earn Procore’s Fundamentals Certificate. The comparison suggests that Autodesk’s BPA has more impact on student learning outcomes than Procore’s program. However, students reported that they are more likely to use Procore’s project management concepts and software in industry.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
ASCE. 2008. Civil engineering body of knowledge for the 21st century: Preparing the civil engineer for the future. 2nd ed. Reston, VA: ASCE.
ASCE. 2016. “Policy statement 418—The role of the civil engineer in sustainable development.” Accessed July 9, 2016. http://www.asce.org/issues-and-advocacy/public-policy/policy-statement-418---the-role-of-the-civil-engineer-in-sustainable-development/.
Autodesk. 2011. “Autodesk sustainability workshop.” Online Workshop. Accessed July 1, 2016. http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/.
Autodesk. 2015. “Sustainability in action: from epic challenges to integrated solutions.” San Rafael, CA: Autodesk, Inc. Accessed July 1, 2016. https://www.unglobalcompact.org/system/attachments/cop_2015/173201/original/autodesk_sustainability_report_2015.pdf?1436154623.
Azapagic, A., S. Perdan, and D. Shallcross. 2005. “How much do engineering students know about sustainable development? The findings of an international survey and possible implications for the engineering curriculum.” Eur. J. Eng. Educ. 30 (1): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043790512331313804.
Barr, S. 2003. “Strategies for sustainability: Citizens and responsible environmental behavior.” Area 35 (3): 227–240. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-4762.00172.
Becerik-Gerber, B., D. J. Gerber, and K. Ku. 2011. “The pace of technological innovation in architecture, engineering, and construction education: Integrating recent trends into the curricula.” J. Inf. Technol. Constr. (ITcon) 16 (16): 411–432.
BPA (Building Performance Analysis) Curriculum. n.d. Accessed December 5, 2017. https://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/building-performance-analysis-curriculum.
Clevenger, C., M. Abdallah, and M. Beauregard. 2017. “Advancing construction students’ sustainability competencies using online tools.” In Proc., ICSC17: The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering 5th Int./12th Construction Specialty Conf. Vancouver, Canada: Univ. of British Columbia.
Cordray, D. S., T. R. Harris, and S. Klein. 2009. “A research synthesis of the effectiveness, replicability, and generality of the VaNTH challenge-based instructional modules in bioengineering.” J. Eng. Educ. 98 (4): 335–348. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2009.tb01031.x.
Debs, L. C. E., M. Shaurette, and B. L. Benhart. 2016. “Professional certifications in construction industry: A comparative view from students and companies.” In Proc., 52nd ASC Annual Int. Conf. Provo, UT: Associated Schools of Construction.
Frisk, E., and K. Larson. 2011. “Educating for sustainability: Competencies & practices for transformative action.” Sustainability Educ. 2 (1): 1–20.
Jennings, G., and U. Kachel. 2015. “Online learning: Reflections on the effectiveness of an undergraduate sustainability tourism module.” In Education for sustainability in tourism, 187–99. Berlin: Springer.
Johnson, B., and D. Gunderson. 2009. “Educating students concerning recent trends in AEC: A survey of ASC member programs.” In Proc., 45th ASC Annual Conf. edited by T. Sulbaran. Hattiesburg, MS: Univ. of Southern Mississippi.
Ku, K., and M. Taiebat. 2011. “BIM experiences and expectations: the constructors’ perspective.” Int. J. Constr. Educ. Res. 7 (3): 175–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/15578771.2010.544155.
Lawton, D., N. Vye, J. Bransford, E. Sanders, M. Richey, D. French, and R. Stephens. 2012. “Online learning based on essential concepts and formative assessment.” J. Eng. Educ. 101 (2): 244–287. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2012.tb00050.x.
Lynch, D., W. Kelly, M. Jha, and R. Harichandran. 2007. “Implementing sustainability in the engineering curriculum: Realizing the ASCE body of knowledge.” In Proc., ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition. Honolulu: ASCE.
Mason, G. S., T. R. Shuman, and K. E. Cook. 2013. “Comparing the effectiveness of an inverted classroom to a traditional classroom in an upper-division engineering course.” IEEE Trans. Educ. 56 (4): 430–435. https://doi.org/10.1109/TE.2013.2249066.
McGraw-Hill Construction. 2012. Construction industry workforce shortages: Role of certification, training and green jobs in filling the gaps. Bedford, MA: McGraw-Hill.
National Research Council. 2009. Enhancing the effectiveness of sustainability partnerships. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Orr, D. 2002. “Four challenges of sustainability.” Conserv. Biol. 18 (6): 1457–1460. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2004.01862.x.
Ozturk, H., D. Raubenheimer, A. Duca, and H. J. Trussell. 2015. “JITAR online modules to improve math preparation of engineering students: preliminary results.” In Proc., 122nd ASEE Annual Conf. and Exposition. Seattle: ASCE.
Pepper, C., and H. Wildy. 2008. “Leading for sustainability: Is surface understanding enough?” J. Educ. Administration 46 (5): 613–629. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230810895528.
Pikas, E., R. Sacks, and O. Hazzan. 2013. “Building information modeling education for construction engineering and management. II: Procedures and implementation case study.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 139 (11): 05013002. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000765.
Procore. 2016. “Procore fundamentals certificate.” Accessed August 18, 2017. https://www.procore.com/certification.
Rowe, D. 2007. “Education for a sustainable future.” Science 317 (5836): 323–324. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1143552.
Sambasivam, S., and T. Li. 2004. “On-line learning and ontological engineering.” Issues Inf. Sci. Inf. Technol. 1: 157–170. https://doi.org/10.28945/727.
Sherman, D. 2008. “Sustainability: What’s the big idea?” Sustainability 1 (3): 188–195. https://doi.org/10.1089/SUS.2008.9960.
Sipos, Y., B. Battisti, and K. Grimm. 2008. “Achieving transformative sustainability learning: Engaging heads, hands and heart.” Int. J. Sustainability Higher Educ. 9 (1): 68–86. https://doi.org/10.1108/14676370810842193.
Valdes-Vasquez, R., and C. M. Clevenger. 2015. “Piloting collaborative learning activities in a sustainable construction class.” Int. J. Constr. Educ. Res. 11 (2): 79–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/15578771.2014.990122.
Vest, C. M. 2006. “Educating engineers for 2020 and beyond.” In The bridge. Washington, DC: National Academy of Engineering Summer.
Wiek, A., L. Withycombe, and C. L. Redman. 2011. “Key competencies in sustainability: A reference framework for academic program development.” Sustainability Sci. 6 (2): 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0132-6.
Wolfe, K., and D. Andrews. 2014. “The changing roles of higher education: Curator, evaluator, connector and analyst.” Horiz. 22 (3): 210–217. https://doi.org/10.1108/OTH-05-2014-0019.
Wu, W., and R. R. A. Issa. 2013. “BIM education for new career options: An initial investigation.” In Proc., BIM Academic Workshop in Construction, Building Innovation. Washington, DC: National Institute of Building Sciences.
Wu, W., and R. R. A. Issa. 2014. “BIM education and recruiting: survey-based comparative analysis of issues, perceptions, and collaboration opportunities.” J. Prof. Issues Eng. Educ. Pract. 140 (2): 4013014. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EI.1943-5541.0000186.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 145 • Issue 1 • January 2019
Copyright
©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 6, 2017
Accepted: Jun 26, 2018
Published online: Oct 11, 2018
Published in print: Jan 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Mar 11, 2019
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.