Teaching Real Life Risk Management To M.S. Construction Students

The nature of the ‘messiness’ of the real projects in which we are involved determines how our construction practice proceeds. In order to train future construction students, we need to prepare them with the skills to deal with this messiness. Faculty must have these skills first as well as fresh experience of using them. This paper discusses the synergies to be experienced between teaching, consulting, research, and in-company training. These abilities then need to be passed on to the students. Technique training provides an important tool-kit, but the key skills have to be acquired through guided experimental learning, with the learning loop closed by guided reflection-fostered activity and aided by mentors.