Jaselskis, E; Ruwanpura, J; Becker, T; Silva, L; Jewell, P and Floyd, E (2011) Innovation in construction engineering education using two applications of internet-based information technology to provide real-time project observations. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 137, pp. 829-835. ISSN 0733-9364
Abstract
Improvements in construction engineering education result when innovative information technologies are incorporated into academic curricula. Through the use of internet-based communication technologies, no longer must students physically travel to a construction project site to observe and hear construction operations. This paper discusses two applications of internet-based, audio and video technologies currently being piloted at Iowa State University (ISU) and at the University of Calgary (UC) for the purpose of bringing live construction projects into the university classroom. Virtual Project Tours have been piloted at Iowa State University in which real-time video and audio are delivered from active construction projects to a remote classroom through the internet. The second application discussed in this paper, Virtual Supervision, is being piloted at the University of Calgary and consists of the monitoring and analysis of construction projects by using imagery gathered by web-enabled, digital cameras of fixed location transmitting video through the internet. This paper also presents a vision of a globally networked organization of engineering and construction education institutions each sharing the unique engineering and building techniques of their respective part of the globe with design and construction students located around the world. This exchange of construction project observations among the institutions will be enabled by the internet-based applications of virtual project tours and virtual supervision systems described in this paper.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction education; engineering education; project management; virtual project tours; virtual supervision |
| Index terms: | construction operation, monitoring, classroom, construction engineering, design and construction, supervision, internet, project management, information technology, construction education, construction project, engineering education |
| Subjects: | control systems, project management theory and practice, contractual arrangements, professional education, computing systems, production management, construction type, construction operations, engineering methods |
| Topics: | Procurement, Engineering Principles, Site Management, Construction Technology, Project Management, Digital Applications, Education |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here