Josua Pienaar

Critical Success Factors in Distance Learning Construction Programs at Central Queensland University: Students’ Perspective

Distance education has gone through rapid expansion over the years. Many Australian universities are pushing the use of distance education in delivering construction education programs. However, the critical success factors (CSFs) in distance learning construction programs (DLCPs) are not fully understood. More importantly, students’ demographic features may affect the selection of distance education technologies. Situation-matching strategies should therefore be taken by universities or institutions with different student cohorts. A survey is adopted in Central Queensland University (CQU) to identify and rank the critical success factors in a DLCP in Australia where there is a significant number of earner-learners and students with low socioeconomic background. The findings suggest that the most important CSFs include access to computers and internet, reliability of web-based learning sites, high relevance and clarity of learning materials and assessment items, the availability of web-based learning sites that can be easily manipulated, and the capability of the instructors to provide well-structured courses. The findings also suggest that students with low socioeconomic background have more rigorous requirements on interface design, instructors’ support, and the integration of practical components into courses. The results provide good guidance of the design and delivery of DLCPs and will be useful for universities and institutions that are seeking to implement the distance mode in construction education.

Modelling paths of risks associated with BIM implementation in architectural, engineering and construction projects

ABSTRACT Building information modelling (BIM) implementation involves various risks, which prevent users from assuring the potential benefits. The objectives of this study are to identify the risks associated with BIM implementation in architectural, engineering and construction projects and model the paths of these risks. To achieve these objectives, 16 risks categorized into 9 groups were identified from a literature review, and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 38 professionals in Australia. The hypothetical risk paths were tested using partial least square-structural equation modelling. Eight risk paths were statistically significant, which further formed nine chains of risk paths. ‘Inadequate relevant knowledge and expertise’ was the primary root risk category, and ‘technological issues’, ‘poor information sharing and collaboration’ and ‘data ownership issues’ were the secondary root risk category. Additionally, the expense associated with BIM implementation can be offset by the cost savings brought by BIM.

Investigating the Relationship Between Student Characteristics and Progression: An Archive Study

Progression has been seen as an indicator of a student’s academic development. Different students usually have different characteristics affecting student progression. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between students’ characteristics and progression. To achieve this objective, an archive study was performed to check 1547 Built Environment student records at Central Queensland University (CQUniversity). The student management data archive included all the students studying Built Environment programs at CQUniversity from the start of Term 1 2000 to the end of Term 3 2010. The Student Progression Unit (SPU) was used to measure the students’ progression. The analysis results indicated that the students with academic credit transfers performed better in terms of SPU than those without, and that the students who were in Building Surveying program received significantly higher SPU scores than those in other programs. In addition, the students’ gender, geographical location, socioeconomic status, and countries of birth did not significantly affect their SPUs. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the relationship between student characteristics and progression.

Critical Risks Associated with BIM Adoption: A Case of Singapore

In the recent years, building information modelling (BIM) has attracted worldwide attention from both academics and industry practitioners. Although there have been well-recognized benefits from the BIM adoption, the potential risks associated with BIM adoption should not be ignored. The objective of this study is to assess the potential risks in the BIM adoption in Singapore. To achieve the objective, a total of 16 risks were identified through a literature review, and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 36 industry practitioners. The magnitude of impact, likelihood of occurrence, and criticality of risks were analysed. The results indicated that the risk criticality scores ranged from 2.89 to 3.68, and that “lack of competency or expertise in using BIM” was the most critical risks associated with BIM adoption, followed by “cost overrun with BIM” and “lack of collaboration among project participants”. With respect to the impact, “lack of competency or expertise in using BIM” also received the top position. In terms of the likelihood of occurrence, “cultural resistance” was ranked top. The identification of the critical risks contributes to a better risk awareness in the organizations that were adopting BIM, and enables the industry practitioners to develop appropriate risk response measures.

Factors Influencing Student Progression in Built Environment and Engineering Programs: Case of Central Queensland University

AbstractIn higher education, progression should be conceptualized in multiple dimensions, rather than just the institutional statistical view. The objectives of this research are to identify the mu...

Improving sustainability literacy of future quantity surveyors

Purpose The increasing need for sustainability-literate construction professionals has prompted higher education institutions to incorporate a sustainability agenda education into their construction courses. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sustainability knowledge embedded into a quantity surveying (QS) undergraduate course. Design/methodology/approach Using the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) as a case study, analysis of sustainability knowledge embedded into the QS course is conducted by examining the content of QS course structure, unit aims, learning outcomes, assessment framework and weekly lecture and tutorial materials. Findings The results show that the “incorporation approach”, i.e. the practice of incorporating the sustainability themes into existing relevant subjects, is mainly used in delivering the sustainability knowledge to the QS students. Additionally, it is found that in its QS course, QUT has covered all aspects of sustainability comprehensively from an environmental viewpoint and with regard, to economic, social and governance aspects. Practical implications This research also proposes recommendations for further improvement of the sustainability education in the QUT QS course and beyond. Originality/value This study revealed the current practices and approaches of incorporating sustainability knowledge into QS education programme and addressed the knowledge requirements of future sustainability literate QS professionals.

Defining Green Road Infrastructure Projects—A Critical Review

Green infrastructure is considered as a strategic approach to address the ecological and social impacts of urban sprawl. The main elements of green infrastructure have been well established and include a series of multifunctional ecological systems, such as green urban space, green road infrastructure and the links between these systems. However, it should be noted that the elements of green road infrastructure have only been briefly mentioned in isolated life cycle stages, e.g. design, procurement, construction, maintenance and operation. The definition of green road infrastructure and the elements in green road infrastructure projects remain largely unknown. To explore the elements in green road infrastructure, a critical review was adopted. As the development of green road infrastructure projects is guided by rating systems, a comparison of three major green roads rating systems, including GreenroadsTM, EnvisionTM and Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Tool—IS, was conducted. The comparison reveals that green roads can be defined as road projects that have superior performance in economic, social and environmental sustainability. The sustainability features in green roads mainly include environmental sustainability, social sustainability, economic sustainability, quality, pavement technology and innovation. The results will contribute to an increased understanding of green roads and will be useful to improve the performance of road projects on these sustainability features.

The benefits and implied costs of JIT sourcing to chinese contractors: A review of literature

The just-in-time (JIT) concept originates from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and has been adopted in the construction industry for decades to improve logistics and performance. The concept has proven to be effective in reducing inventory level, improving information exchange and supply chain performance. Many new benefits of JIT sourcing have been identified in recent years, such as the improvement in environmental performance for contractors. However, these new benefits are challenged by many academics based on the rigorous criteria that should be followed when applying the JIT sourcing concept.