Enhancing student motivation and learning with monetary prizes in a construction management undergraduate subject

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Author
Lim, SH; Chan, TKEditor
Scott, L; Neilson, CDate
2020-01-01Source Title
ARCOM 2020 - Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 36th Annual Conference 2020 - ProceedingsPublisher
Association of Researchers in Construction ManagementAffiliation
Architecture, Building and PlanningMetadata
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Conference PaperCitations
Lim, S. H. & Chan, T. K. (2020). Enhancing student motivation and learning with monetary prizes in a construction management undergraduate subject. Scott, L (Ed.) Neilson, C (Ed.) ARCOM 2020 - Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 36th Annual Conference 2020 - Proceedings, pp.706-714. Association of Researchers in Construction Management.Access Status
Open AccessOpen Access URL
http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/archive/2020-Indexed-Papers.pdfAbstract
This study developed a competition mechanism that is integrated into an industrysponsored
project to enhance student motivation, engagement and learning
achievement in a construction management under-graduate program. As part of the
formative assessment exercises in a construction technology subject, students were
tasked to propose an alternative precast concrete building solution for a four-storey
car showroom that was originally designed to be constructed as an in-situ reinforced
concrete structure. An industry partner was actively involved in establishing the
scope of the project, provided all necessary documents, arranged site visits and
introduced the range of precast concrete components that were available for use. A
design engineer from the company was invited to present a lecture on the design and
construction of precast concrete structures. Students also visited a project where these
precast concrete elements were being erected. Students were assigned to work in
pairs to develop an alternative precast design and propose a detailed construction plan
for the client’s consideration. More importantly for this assignment, the industry
partner offered cash prizes for the best solutions. An experiment was conducted to
examine the effects of the competition by comparing the students’ performance in this
competitive environment to another assignment in the same subject that did not offer
any cash rewards. The results of a survey of the students indicated that many were
more motivated, worked at a higher level and attained a more positive experience
compared to a previous assignment that had no cash rewards. However, a small
number of students reported that they were not influenced by the prize money and did
not report any improvement in performance or learning. These findings indicate that
individual learning preferences may influence the outcomes from competition
mechanisms. This study will inform on future industry engagements with the
construction management program in terms of cash rewards to enhance educational
value. The pedagogical strategies linking educational outcomes with competition and
rewards will have implications for academic teaching and student learning.
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