An Innovative Teaching Model: Involvement of Industry Practitioners in the Teaching of Construction Management Curriculum.

This paper describes an innovative teaching model in which industry practitioners are engaged with the teaching of courses that are part of a Construction Management program curriculum in the College of Engineering. The model is put into practice to bridge the gap between academia and industry by addressing recurrent problems observed in guest speaker talks such as complex topics, students' lack of interest, and misalignment with class content. The Industry Advisory Board and statewide industry associations helped select industry practitioners whose expertise aligned with the topics covered in each course. To assist industry practitioners in preparing their classes, contact information of previous participants and guidelines for delivering a class in academia were provided. When physical presence in the classroom was not possible, videoconferencing technologies were used to deliver the course. In addition, interactive activities such as class discussions, group work, and virtual tours were implemented to enhance the students' learning on the practice of the profession. To ensure students' participation, content covered in these classes are part of the students' evaluation in the form of exams, quizzes, and homework. Survey results collected showed that students had positive feedback on the overall quality of this teaching model. Many were able to learn about real life examples and practices in the industry, thanks to the reliable organization among program administration, industry practitioners, and instructors of record. The feedback collected from the instructors of record was also positive. Many dedicated their time to prepare for the class and complimented on the supportive materials that were provided. Nevertheless, some wished that more classes were conducted face-to-face, and more time made available for each class. As this innovative teaching model is in progressive improvement, these challenges will be addressed in the future to better prepare the students for their future professional careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]