Lauren W. Redden and Robert A. Bugg
Auburn University,
Auburn, Alabama, USA
There is a growing movement for universities to include high-impact educational practices. This study explores the implementation and efficacy of one such practice in a construction management undergraduate program. During a recent curriculum revision, faculty decided to include a required service-learning course in the curriculum to enhance both student learning and civic engagement. The course assimilates all components of the construction process. Key assessments of the course include: written proposal & preconstruction presentation to the owner, project update reports, a mid-semester site inspection, and a final presentation accompanied by a written reflection. Students and owners voluntarily completed surveys at the end of the semester to determine the elements requiring improvement, elements that should remain unchanged, and the perceived knowledge gain through the experience. The results indicate the project owners were satisfied and the students acknowledged learning benefits. Owners, students and faculty all noted major challenges/frustrations with the course and the need for improvement. The paper summarizes the data to evaluate the efficacy of the required course and highlights lessons learned to improve the course. Dissemination of the results may be useful in starting or improving service-learning courses at other institutions.
Key Words: service-learning, construction education, curriculum, student learning, community engagement, high-impact educational practices