New Automated Activity-on-Node Calculation Grading Method for Construction Management Education Innovation
Publication: Journal of Civil Engineering Education
Volume 147, Issue 3
Abstract
Construction management education in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) domain is increasingly challenged with managing limited resources while increasing instructors’ teaching effectiveness and improving students’ learning outcomes. To address this challenge, the authors proposed a new automated activity-on-node (AON) calculation grading (AACG) method to support AON grading without penalizing students for cascaded errors, improve grading efficiency, accuracy, and learning outcomes. In this paper, the proposed AACG method was evaluated in a sophomore level construction management course by cross-comparing grading and learning results in three consecutive semesters. The authors analyzed the benefits of the proposed AACG method through applying qualitative and quantitative analyses, in which the following learning theories were adopted for conducting qualitative analyses: grounded theory; instructional learning theory; science, technology, society, and environment (STSE) education theory; and self-assessment theory. Meanwhile, learning outcome factors assisted development and analysis of the proposed method. The AACG method was implemented using Excel and evaluated as applied to both formative assignments and summative exams. This study demonstrated that the AON grading challenges stemming from time constraints and learning outcome goals could be alleviated by the proposed AACG method. A comparative analysis revealed that the proposed AACG method could: (1) reduce grading time consumption especially when the score of each AON parameter is not an integer; (2) improve grading accuracy by reducing human errors that are involved in the traditional manual grading method; (3) provide simplified, timely, and explicit feedback to help students conduct self-assessment, encourage students’ active learning to improve learning outcomes; and (4) avoid penalizing students for cascaded errors in AON calculations. Although the statistical testing did not fully demonstrate significant improvement in time consumption and scores achieved when using the proposed AACG method, mean scores achieved and time consumption observably improved. An additional experiment comparing two exams of the same semester demonstrated significant improvement in scores achieved when using the proposed AACG method. The AACG method can also be applied to the grading of more general construction management topics when there are cascading relationships.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
References
Abbas, A., Z. U. Din, and R. Farooqui. 2016. “Integration of BIM in construction management education: An overview of Pakistani engineering universities.” Procedia Eng. 145: 151–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.04.034.
AERA (American Educational Research Association), APA (American Psychological Association), and NCME (National Council on Measurement in Education) Joint Committee on Standards. 1999. Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: AERA.
Aikenhead, G. S. 1994. What is STS science teaching? STS Education: International perspectives in reform. New York: Teacher’s College Press.
Alizadehsalehi, S., A. Hadavi, and J. C. Huang. 2019. “Virtual reality for design and construction education environment.” In Proc., AEI 2019: Integrated building solutions—The national agenda, 193–203. Reston, VA: ASCE. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784482261.023.
Alizadehsalehi, S., A. Hadavi, and J. C. Huang. 2020. “From BIM to extended reality in AEC industry.” Autom. Constr. 116 (Aug): 103254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103254.
Armstrong, W. B. 2000. “The association among student success in courses, placement test scores, student background data, and instructor grading practices.” Community Coll. J. Res. Pract. 24 (8): 681–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668920050140837.
Ballesteros-Perez, P., K. M. Elamrousy, and M. C. González-Cruz. 2019. “Non-linear time-cost trade-off models of activity crashing: Application to construction scheduling and project compression with fast-tracking.” Autom. Constr. 97 (Jan): 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2018.11.001.
Balouka, N., and I. Cohen. 2019. “A robust optimization approach for the multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem.” Eur. J. Oper. Res. 291 (2): 457–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2019.09.052.
Bangphan, S., P. Bangphan, and S. Phanphet. 2019. “Application of project scheduling in production process for paddy cleaning machine by using PERT and CPM techniques.” Expert systems in finance: Smart financial applications in big data environments, 188. Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis Group.
Bausell, R. B., and C. R. Bausell. 1979. “Student ratings and various instructional variables from a within-instructor perspective.” Res. Higher Educ. 11 (2): 167–177. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00975640.
Berk, R. A. 2005. “Survey of 12 strategies to measure teaching effectiveness.” Int. J. Teach. Learn. Higher Educ. 17 (1): 48–62.
Carolan, G., C. Curran, and A. McCormack. 2019. “New technologies and new spaces: Grangegorman and Brightspace as innovative educational environments.” Accessed November 6, 2020. https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ltcpgdprp/25.
Carver, C. S., M. H. Antoni, and M. F. Scheier. 1985. “Self-consciousness and self-assessment.” J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 48 (1): 117. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.48.1.117.
Chaharsooghi, S. K., M. Seyfi Sariqaya, and F. Rahimnezhad. 2019. “Optimization of project cash flow under uncertainty by genetic algorithm.” Int. J. Ind. Eng. Manage. Sci. 6 (1): 24–37.
Cheang, B., A. Kurnia, A. Lim, and W. C. Oon. 2003. “On automated grading of programming assignments in an academic institution.” Comput. Educ. 41 (2): 121–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0360-1315(03)00030-7.
Clinciu, A. I. 2013. “Adaptation and stress for the first year university students.” Procedia–Soc. Behav. Sci. 78 (May): 718–722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.04.382.
Ecclestone, K. 1995. Learning outcomes. Sheffield, UK: Centre for Further and Higher Education, Sheffield Hallam Univ.
Eggink, W., and M. van der Bijl-Brouwer. 2012. “Grading efficiency in design.” In Proc., 14th Int. Conf. on Engineering & Product Design Education (E&PDE12) Design Education for Future Wellbeing DS 74, 275–280. Glasgow, UK: The Design Society.
Erickson, J. A., A. F. Botelho, S. McAteer, A. Varatharaj, and N. T. Heffernan. 2020. “The automated grading of student open responses in mathematics.” In Proc., 10th Int. Conf. on Learning Analytics & Knowledge, 615–624. New York: Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3375462.3375523.
Flick, U. 2018. An introduction to qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Fry, K., and J. Hillman. 2018. “The explicitness of teaching in guided inquiry.” Accessed May 25, 2020. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED592484.pdf.
Gabdrakhmanova, R., G. Garnaeva, L. Nefediev, and A. Khuziakhmetov. 2019. “Factors affecting the quality of learning outcome in a higher educational institution.” ARPHA Proc. 1: 927. https://doi.org/10.3897/ap.1.e0881.
Glewwe, P., and M. Kremer. 2006. “Schools, teachers, and education outcomes in developing countries.” Handbook Econ. Educ. 2: 945–1017. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1574-0692(06)02016-2.
Grissom, J. A., D. Kalogrides, and S. Loeb. 2015. “Using student test scores to measure principal performance.” Educ. Eval. Policy Anal. 37 (1): 3–28. https://doi.org/10.3102/0162373714523831.
Hattie, J., and H. Timperley. 2007. “The power of feedback.” Rev. Educ. Res. 77 (1): 81–112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487.
Hauck, A. J. 1998. “Toward a taxonomy of learning outcomes for construction management education.” J. Constr. Educ. 3 (3): 150–163.
Hozak, K. 2020. “Online software using randomization and automated grading to help teach linear programming with Excel and Solver in business courses.” J. Educ. Bus. 95 (8): 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832323.2020.1821345.
Khuziakhmetov, A. N., and R. G. Gabdrakhmanova. 2015. “Pedagogical conditions for formation of personal professional qualities in students—Future math teachers.” Mediterr. J. Soc. Sci. 6 (4): 219. https://doi.org/10.36941/mjss.
Khuziakhmetov, A. N., and R. G. Gabdrakhmanova. 2016. “Creativity in joint activity of teacher and student in the learning process.” IEJME-Math. Educ. 11 (4): 735–745.
Kramer, S. W., and J. L. Jenkins. 2006. “Understanding the basics of CPM calculations: What is scheduling software really telling you.” Accessed May 25, 2020. https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/basics-cpm-scheduling-software-axon-8170.
Kurniawan, B., A. Purnomo, I. Idris, K. R. Adi, and I. D. P. Eskassnanda. 2020. “Using SPADA Brightspace to enhance pedagogical skills in teacher professional program.” Int. J. Emerging Technol. Learn. 15 (07): 180–187. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i07.13371.
Li, K., B. Shao, and P. Zelbst. 2012. “Project crashing using Excel Solver: A simple AON network approach.” Int. J. Manage. Info. Syst. 16 (2): 177–182. https://doi.org/10.19030/ijmis.v16i2.6917.
Lu, M., and H. Li. 2003. “Resource-activity critical-path method for construction planning.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 129 (4): 412–420. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2003)129:4(412).
Mantel, S., J. Meredith, S. Shafer, and M. Sutton. 2011. Project management in practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Mathworks. 2011. “Global optimization toolbox: User’s guide (r2011b).” Accessed May 25, 2020. www.mathworks.com/help/pdf_doc/gads/gads_tb.pdf.
McKight, P. E., and J. Najab. 2010. “Kruskal–Wallis test.” The corsini encyclopedia of psychology, 1–5. New York: Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0491.
McLeod, G. 2003. “Learning theory and instructional design.” Learn. Matters 2 (3): 35–43.
McMillan, J. H., and J. Hearn. 2008. “Student self-assessment: The key to stronger student motivation and higher achievement.” Educ. Horizons 87 (1): 40–49.
Mergel, B. 1998. “Instructional design and learning theory. Learning theories of instructional design.” Accessed May 25, 2020. http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm.
Naik, G., C. Chitre, M. Bhalla, and J. Rajan. 2020. “Impact of use of technology on student learning outcomes: Evidence from a large-scale experiment in India.” World Dev. 127 (Mar): 104736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.104736.
Ostertagova, E., O. Ostertag, and J. Kováč. 2014. “Methodology and application of the Kruskal–Wallis test.” In Vol. 611 of Applied mechanics and materials, 115–120. Freienbach, Switzerland: Trans Tech Publications.
Panwalkar, S. S., and C. Koulamas. 2020. “Analysis of flow shop scheduling anomalies.” Eur. J. Oper. Res. 280 (1): 25–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2019.06.043.
Patrick, C. L. 2011. “Student evaluations of teaching: Effects of the big five personality traits, grades and the validity hypothesis.” Assess. Eval. Higher Educ. 36 (2): 239–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930903308258.
Porter, D., and S. Glick. 2020. “Spatial visualization in construction management education: A review and validation of the literature using professionals and related practitioners.” Int. J. Constr. Educ. Res. 16 (4): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15578771.2020.1807427.
Reigeluth, C. 2013. Instructional design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory, volume 2. New York: Routledge.
Reigeluth, C. M. 1999. “What is instructional design theory?” In Vol. 2 of Instructional design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory, edited by C. M. Reigeluth, 5–29. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Ren, R., J. Zhang, and Y. Chen. 2020. “An automated grading method for activity-on-node calculations to support construction management education.” In Proc., Construction Research Congress 2020: Safety, Workforce, and Education, 733–742. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Sarapin, S. H., and P. L. Morris. 2015. “Faculty and Facebook friending: Instructor–student online social communication from the professor’s perspective.” Internet Higher Educ. 27 (Oct): 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2015.04.001.
Scott, L., and C. Fortune. 2013. “Towards the improvement of the student experience of assessment and feedback in construction management education.” Eur. J. Eng. Educ. 38 (6): 661–670. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2013.766675.
Solomon, J. 1993. Teaching science, technology & society. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.
Valls, V., and P. Lino. 2001. “Criticality analysis in activity-on-node networks with minimal time lags.” Ann. Oper. Res. 102 (1): 17–37. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010941729204.
Vasilevski, N., and J. Birt. 2020. “Analysing construction student experiences of mobile mixed reality enhanced learning in virtual and augmented reality environments.” Res. Learn. Technol. 28: 1–23. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v28.2329.
Wang, R., and J. Lian. 2020. “Research on construction schedule optimization of assembly building based on NSGA-II.” In Vol. 165 of Proc., E3S Web of Conf., 06055. Les Ulis, France: EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202016506055.
Watson, P. 2002. “The role and integration of learning outcomes into the educational process.” Active Learn. Higher Educ. 3 (3): 205–219. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787402003003002.
Whitley, E., and J. Ball. 2002. “Statistics review 6: Nonparametric methods.” Critical Care 6 (6): 509. https://doi.org/10.1186/cc1820.
Wiest, J. D. 1981. “Precedence diagramming method: Some unusual characteristics and their implications for project managers.” J. Oper. Manage. 1 (3): 121–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-6963(81)90015-2.
Wiest, J. D., and F. K. Levy. 1977. A management guide to PERT/CPM with GERT/PDM/DCPM and other networks. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Winstone, N. E., and D. Boud. 2020. “The need to disentangle assessment and feedback in higher education.” Stud. Higher Educ. 45: 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2020.1779687.
Yoruk, N., İ. Morgil, and N. Secken. 2009. “The effects of science, technology, society and environment (STSE) education on students’ career planning.” Online Submission 6 (8): 68–74.
Zoubek, L. 2009. “Introduction to educational data mining using MATLAB.” Accessed May 25, 2020. https://www2.humusoft.cz/www/papers/tcp09/119_zoubek.pdf.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 29, 2020
Accepted: Dec 11, 2020
Published online: Feb 23, 2021
Published in print: Jul 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jul 23, 2021
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.
Cited by
- Fan Yang, Temitope Akanbi, Oscar Wong Chong, Jiansong Zhang, Luciana Debs, Yunfeng Chen, Bryan J. Hubbard, Project-Based Introduction to Computing in Construction Management Curriculum: A Case Study, Journal of Civil Engineering Education, 10.1061/JCEECD.EIENG-1905, 150, 1, (2024).
- Zsolt T. Kosztyán, Gergely Novák, Róbert Jakab, István Szalkai, Csaba Hegedűs, A matrix-based flexible project-planning library and indicators, Expert Systems with Applications, 10.1016/j.eswa.2022.119472, 216, (119472), (2023).
- Ling Feng, Construction of University English Informatization Learning Environment Based on ESP Teaching Mode, Security and Communication Networks, 10.1155/2022/5462618, 2022, (1-12), (2022).