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A systematic review of online learning and teaching strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for the construction management sector

Behzad Abbasnejad (School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia)
Sahar Soltani (Future Building Initiative, Monash University Melbourne, Australia) (Monash Construction Circularity Node (Monash-ConCerN), Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia)
Peter Wong (School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia)

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment

ISSN: 2046-6099

Article publication date: 28 February 2023

337

Abstract

Purpose

Most educational institutions worldwide have shifted to online teaching and learning approaches to mitigate risks imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This causes several issues, particularly in delivering the construction management (CM) courses which require site visits, interpreting technical drawings and developing 3D building models. This paper aims to identify the key strategies for online learning and teaching adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate the implications for construction management education.

Design/methodology/approach

The research approach is twofold. First, the study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) through a synthesis of the existing literature to identify the key strategies and lessons learned about online education during the COVID-19 pandemic in tertiary programs. It also discusses their implications in the context of the construction management (CM) sector in particular. Secondly, the authors shared their hands-on experience as construction management course facilitators – using the autoethnography approach – during the COVID-19 crisis.

Findings

In addition to identifying the key strategies such as online course delivery and assessments, the paper critically discusses the barriers to online learning and teaching, including (1) the technological and infrastructure barriers; (2) required online teaching skills and competencies; (3) issues surrounding mental health and wellbeing; (4) lack of consistency in the online delivery of various courses in a given program (5) difficulties around students' engagement and (6) the course characteristics and requirements.

Originality/value

The study offers some implications and recommendations not only for educational institutions and staff but also for vendors of online course delivery software. To prepare educational institutions for future online course delivery, the paper proposes several strategies. These include developing a set of guidelines for online course delivery, incorporating online teaching training modules into the recruitment process for academic staff, applying agile and resilience teaching and learning methods, wellbeing and mental health support and continuously improving course features to adapt to the online environment.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank S. Armin Mirhosseini and Maryam Armat for their comments on this publication.

Citation

Abbasnejad, B., Soltani, S. and Wong, P. (2023), "A systematic review of online learning and teaching strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for the construction management sector", Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-08-2022-0174

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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