Project Based Learning in Concrete Industry Project Management

A Project Based Learning (PBL) method has been implemented in a project management course that is geared towards the concrete industry. This course is a junior level course that is required for all Concrete Industry Management (CIM) students; a bachelor's of science degree that is offered at Texas State University. A PBL method was employed that utilized an actual concrete construction project from a local construction company. The students were introduced to the construction project early in the semester by the president of the construction company. The objective of this research is to determine the effectiveness of using actual, in-the-field projects that represent what the students will encounter once they graduate. The students received photographs of the concrete construction project, engineering documents and specifications, drawings and reports in addition to an introduction and question/answer period with the president of the company that implemented the project. Additionally, included in this study is a milestone formatting technique used for the project. The students were assigned milestone deliverables to be submitted shortly after the lecture covering the required topic was completed, in addition to one project packet due at the end of the semester. This ensured the topic was fresh in their memory when the required task was due and also provides an additional opportunity to improve on their project. Pre and post questionnaire analysis were provided to the students to acquire data regarding the implemented teaching method. The results showed that the students favored both the actual concrete construction project and the milestone deliverable method.