Teaching Construction Project Management With An Historical Perspective

The construction techniques, successes and failures of historically significant projects are most often learned as history lessons in social studies class with little emphasis placed on the actual events, circumstances, technology and creativity that led to the success or failure of these projects. A close study of the actual history of these types of project can serve as an interesting and important teaching tool for students of construction management. The ability to deliver course materials involved in a construction management curriculum generally encourages the instructor to develop artificial projects which serve as little or no inspiration to the students. However, when the modern techniques of construction management are applied to projects of historical note, students view these projects in an entirely new light. Projects that were learned as simple history lessons become case histories that involve the students and require them to fully grasp the process of construction on a grand scale. The students come away with two valuable assets; the use of construction management tools to assess a project and a new respect for the history of the construction industry. Further, as historical records are never quite complete or the information found in the format necessary in analyses, it requires the student to make assumptions concerning the project analysis and check these assumptions against the reality of the construction project. Through the use of team analyses and presentation of project planning and evaluation techniques, students have become enthused about the role of the construction industry in our society.