Extended ANSAC Assessment Requirements for Some Soft Skills for Construction Management Programs

Construction is an interconnected process. The construction engineers and managers work cooperatively with many professionals and workers to implement designs. So, it is logical to teach construction students in a group environment. Also, most construction students have natural talents to learn effectively in an applied atmosphere. However, assessing individual learning in a group and in active learning mode needs special techniques. Assessment provides an environment for constant improvement. A good assessment incorporates complex thinking and problem solving, addresses important disciplinary content, invokes authentic or real-world applications and uses tasks that are instructionally meaningful. Learning is not only a one-way transmission of information from teacher to students. Effective instruction engages students actively in their learning. Learning to be meaningful and effective it must have clear goals. Assessment is a key part in defining these goals. The good teachers constantly assess how their students are performing, gather evidence of the progress and problems, and adjust their instructional plans accordingly. Applied and Natural Science Commission (ANSAC) of ABET has extended requirements for some of the soft skill assessments, that our construction management program now must fulfill. It stipulates: Student Outcome: 5. An ability to understand ethical and professional responsibilities and the impact of technical and/or scientific solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts. 6. An ability to function effectively on teams that establish goals, plan tasks, meet deadlines, and analyze risk and uncertainty. Objective of this project was to develop new and refine available tools for assessing some of the soft skills that would fulfill ANSAC requirements. It is expected to finalize a set of tools, as outcomes, and have them tested in the classrooms by the end of the project.