Online Construction Management Education: A Discipline-Wide Implementation

Abstract

Construction management is a relatively new discipline, straddling civil engineering and architecture. Graduates are in high demand and the discipline attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds including those from school, industry employees seeking to progress their careers as well as those wishing for a career change. Online education is attractive to these students as it provides them with the flexibility to marry their studies with their other responsibilities. However, their diverse backgrounds present challenges to those teaching them as many are unfamiliar with online education and some have not studied for extended periods. They need to be introduced into the university environment in general and the particular approach of the discipline in particular. At the University of Newcastle, the Bachelor of Construction Management is taught based on problem-based learning principles. Students are inducted into their studies via an online website and supported throughout their education with a variety of online packages. This chapter charts their journey from secondary school through to their continuing professional development as graduates.