2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A senior capstone course often stands as a defining feature of most undergraduate construction engineering and management (CEM) programs. Traditionally, this capstone course is designed to prepare students for the practical challenges of the construction industry. However, in today's dynamic landscape, construction companies have expanded their operations to encompass various domains, including design, rehabilitation, renovation, maintenance of existing facilities, manufacturing and supplying building materials and equipment, and demolition. Furthermore, the incorporation of new technologies, sustainability considerations, and evolving managerial demands have increased the complexity of construction projects, both technically and managerially. Consequently, the modern construction industry places a premium on the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of recent graduates.
Regrettably, as observed in various professional fields, CEM programs have faced challenges in producing graduates equipped with the necessary problem-solving and critical thinking skills. To address this issue, the authors propose the development of a novel senior capstone course using a scenario-based learning approach. The authors' program is currently in the process of creating this capstone course, following the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) instructional design framework. This culminating course is intended to provide senior students with the opportunity to integrate and apply the knowledge they have accumulated throughout their college journey by simulating real-world situations.
In this capstone course, students collaborate in teams of four to six individuals, engaging in academic competition to secure a construction contract for an actual project. Successful completion of this capstone course hinges on the integration of knowledge acquired during the CEM curriculum. This paper outlines a systematic approach for the development of a senior capstone course tailored to CEM students. While the course is still under development, this paper primarily focuses on delineating the systematic process of creating a senior capstone course and shares insights gained during this development journey. Furthermore, the paper introduces the new scenario-based senior capstone course devised by the authors.
The scenario-based learning approach guides students from traditional learning environments to more interactive and collaborative settings. The scenario-based senior capstone course promises a dynamic classroom experience, enabling students to apply the comprehensive array of skills they've acquired throughout the CEM curriculum to simulate pre-construction and construction processes. Finally, the paper offers recommendations for developing a senior capstone course using the scenario-based learning approach.