Imriyas Kamardeen

Adaptive e-Tutorial for Enhancing Student Learning in Construction Education

Designing and delivering courses that feature student-centered active learning strategies, interactive learning environments, feedback on student progress, and motivating learning tasks is essential to enable students to develop necessary graduate attributes. However, lecturers encounter numerous challenges in this role. A recently emerged adaptive eLearning pedagogical approach was experimented with in a first year course in a Construction Management degree program through action research. Study findings suggest that the adaptive eLearning method can facilitate deep learning as it provides improved engagements, interactions, real-time feedback and improved flexibility. Moreover, students who used the new learning method desire its availability in other courses too.

Work Stress Is a Threat to Gender Diversity in the Construction Industry

AbstractThe construction industry is missing out on numerous performance gains derived from gender diversity. Its reputation for excessive work stress, resulting in poor psychological health, is am...

E-OHS planning system for builders

The ability to identify safety and health hazards as early as possible and implement good occupational health and safety (OHS) plans is vital to a project of any size. It is also a core requirement in OHS regulations. Nonetheless, developing effective OHS plans faces significant challenges, including large scopes of construction projects, skill shortages within construction professionals and abundance of OHS knowledge in unorganized formats. A web-based system was developed to implement a knowledge-based approach to OHS planning as a way of addressing these challenges. The system was then evaluated by its potential end users. The evaluation results suggest that the system (1) captures OHS knowledge from different sources and retains it in a single and easily accessible virtual location, (2) is capable of providing on-demand OHS planning information, (3) could help site staff with on-the-job learning of OHS skills and (4) could help minimize accidents on site and thereby save time and money for builders.

Psychological challenges confronting graduate construction students in Australia

ABSTRACT Research shows that undergraduate construction students suffer from burnout and stress due to balancing study and employment in the construction industry. It is hypothesized that graduate construction students experience worse psychological symptoms because of other commitments that they have on top of their work and study. However, research on their mental health is still scarce. This research identifies the stressors and assesses the mental health symptoms of graduate students pursuing construction-related coursework degrees in Australia. In total, 107 valid responses were collected from graduate construction students enrolled in Australian universities through a questionnaire survey. Data analysis suggests that high self-expectations and worrying about under-performing in studies are the most frequent stressors faced by them. They also encounter higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than the general population. Furthermore, their level of depression is higher than construction professionals in Australia. These adversely affect their academic, work, and social performances. To reduce the attrition rate of graduate students caused by poor psychological health, universities should remodel the delivery methods with balanced online and face-to-face learning activities or intensive options; set the maximum academic load of two subjects per session for students working full-time; and provide in-house educational counselling services.

Personal Characteristics Moderate Work Stress in Construction Professionals

AbstractStudies of work stress in the construction industry have largely considered work characteristics as cofounding factors of work-related psychological illnesses and have paid minimal attentio...