Latorre, V; Riley, M J and Ossio, F (2010) Using blogs as a skill development tool for construction management students. In: Egbu, C (ed.) Proceedings of 26th Annual ARCOM Conference, 6-8 September 2010, Leeds, UK.
Abstract
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer a growing range of teaching and learning tools. This paper explores the use of blogging as a means of achieving a greater understanding of teaching and learning, and the impact ICTs can have on professional practice. This research has been developed with a group of final year construction management students, and is presented here in two stages. The first stage enabled the cohort to explore the scope of blogging as a tool for learning through reflection, and the second stage was designed to measure the impact this blogging forum had in facilitating the development of skills, particularly those in high demand by the construction industry. This study identifies which interventions are perceived as most relevant by the cohort as a means of developing skills. Results also indicate that the blogging platform format influences the impact blogging may produce. Collected data shows that undergraduate students perceive they improve their critical, analytical and communicational skills; however they don’t perceive they have learned or that better prepares them for professional practice. Students conceive blogging as having potential far beyond the objectives of the curricula.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | blogs; information technology; professional skills; construction manager |
| Index terms: | construction industry, professional practice, information technology, reflection, undergraduate, construction manager, skills development, platform, information and communication technology |
| Subjects: | professional development, personnel development, digital design, industry analysis, computing systems, profession, curriculum development |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Human Resources, Education, Research Practice, Information Management, Roles and Professions |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
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