Communication simulation in construction management education: evaluating learning effectiveness

Communicating effectively is one of the most important human factors in construction management. Students of undergraduate construction management units usually acquire this skill through traditional or problem-based learning approaches. However, these approaches have been found to have limitations. These limitations can be overcome by developing and applying a communication simulator based on an appropriate theoretical learning framework and construction management specific requirements. This paper shows the development of a communication simulator and its results regarding learning effectiveness in an undergraduate engineering program which was analysed using pre- and post-test experiments of an experimental group and a control group. The communication simulator is shown to have a statistically significant positive impact on learning effectiveness regarding communication in construction management. A special need for real-world scenarios was identified regarding the application of communication documents which communicate project responsibilities.