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AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VIDEOTAPE TOPICS FOR THE USE IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Mike Borzage and W. Mack Reynolds

Department of Construction Management

California State University‑Chico

Chico, California

  Part One: Videotape Production

Background

The production of video recorded topics for use in Construction Management education is a challenging and potentially rewarding undertaking that requires dedication and commitment over an extended period of time. When completed, a construction videotape production allows a detailed, graphic representation of construction operations to be brought into the classroom. Unlike the original construction event, this tape can be viewed, reviewed and analyzed over and over by students for many years. Students can witness the sights and sounds of construction operations that extend far beyond their normal levels of experience. With the inclusion of special time-lapse taped construction cycles, and with the development of the proper tools for analysis students can participate in construction methods analysis and improvement exercises. These can result in a greater understanding of specific construction operations, as well as an awareness of creative means by which construction alternatives can be considered.

The development of a construction education videotape requires the concentration of considerable resources. The process requires many people with highly diverse backgrounds be brought together for an extended period of time. The project also requires the commitment and support from many additional people. The moment support or commitment is suspended, the project will succumb to an immediate failure.

In 1990, construction of a new building on the C.S.U. Chico campus presented a nearly ideal and unique set of circumstances to develop an educational videotape series. Construction of a four-story, steel frame structure with a driven pile foundation, and other related complexities was documented. The new building site was immediately adjacent to two buildings, each over eight stories in height. These rooftop locations provided excellent positions for overhead videotape recording shots. In order to provide a continuous time-lapse recording of the entire project, a video camera was installed into a permanent bracket and weather resistant housing, and then mounted at one of the rooftop locations. Following installation and testing, this time-lapse equipment required only occasional inspection, and tape changing occurred on fourteen-day cycles.

During all of the field recording, and the final video production phases, the Instructional Media Center located on the C.S.U. Chico campus provided their professional personnel and equipment.

Overview: The Process

The curriculum and course development of each construction management program are greatly influenced by two factors; first, the basic philosophy of the founding department from which the program evolves, secondly, the specific construction market into which the instructors and administrators believe their students will enter. Additional emphasis on course development also results from the split between those construction management educators who follow the highly traditional teaching models, and those who continually search for new ways and means of improving the learning environment. Arguments can be debated to rationalize the merits and failings of each approach. Overall curriculum design and review are not the central issues of this paper. What is of importance is the confrontation between the philosophies of traditional education, based on textbook learning models, and progressive educational models that utilize non‑print media. The proponents of traditional construction education might argue that topics such as construction law, specifications, materials, management theory, structural design, estimating and accounting are all best suited to the standard textbook education. However, the non‑traditional educators pursue alternative mediums, and search for evidence to support their approach.

Construction operations involve a series of extremely graphic events. While proper theoretical preparation for these events is important, the reality of a construction project remains the controlling of "job site" operations. Until one has personally constructed a given project, a large body of visual information is lacking. Uncertainty regarding these unknown construction events is likely to remain until the time they are personally experienced. A traditional construction education, which relies on the best printed textbooks available, and which may be supplemented by the instructor's own personal background, does not provide this missing experience. For the progressive educator, it would seem incomprehensible to limit a student's education to "the standard textbook" approach. However, until recently, alternatives to this approach were not plentiful. Students were often encouraged to obtain real work experience outside the curriculum, though programs such as summer work co‑ops. Today, with improvements to the classroom environment, construction management students benefit from both videotape recordings as well as computer simulations. This new technology allows students to experience situations that are extraordinary. While the construction industry is not historically progressive, construction education must be prepared to lead the way.

Situation Analysis

Where is this high technology found in today's construction education? How are computer simulation and videotape recording incorporated into course curriculums? For many of us, our efforts to integrate this technology into the classroom are frustrated by a number of potential barriers to entry.

1. lack of appropriate material

2. lack of time to adapt material into the classroom

3. difficulty in producing personal projects

4. cost of materials

5. lack of proper classroom mediation

6. peer resistance to new approaches

Alternative

The solution to some of the barriers outlined above is to produce one's own educational materials. However, this undertaking will create a new list of demands which must also be considered. The successful outcome of a videotape project for introduction into the classroom will depend on satisfying the following video production objectives:

1. Quality of Construction

Clearly there must be a realistic opportunity to videotape a construction activity of significant scope and quality. Good projects are not easily found. The physical construction site must be accessible to both recording equipment and personnel. There must be adequate recording locations, and consideration must be given to these locations remaining usable throughout the entire project. In most cases it is not possible to "stage" construction events, or to re‑shoot them, as is the case with a normal video production. While it is possible to creatively edit these tapes, retakes of construction activities cannot subsequently be made.

2. Authorization and Approvals

To ensure continuity of the video project locations are required for video recording that may be re-used throughout the entire project. Authorization is often to use the various video camera locations and/or to access the construction site for close up, as well as interior shots. It is highly recommended that this authorization be obtained in writing. A clear written description of the projected activities should be presented to those from whom this authorization is solicited. The description should include the location, length of time, frequency of shoots, and number of personnel involved with each field shoot. It should identify the types of hazards expected, and a plan to remedy or repair any problems that are created. It is recommended that the scope of activity is not understated in this description. Once the project is well under way, it would prove very destructive to the production effort if further use of these video recording locations were denied.

3. Commitment

A videotape recording project requires along term commitment. The actual construction activity of a complex project is likely to last more than one year. During this time it will be necessary to schedule field shoots as often as twice each week, and no less frequently than once every two weeks. Each shoot requires a minimum of one how on site, plus any preparations and travel time. The script writing phase should be expected to take several months, and require frequent input to correctly guide the story teller. The editing, special computer graphics, and final production phase can easily require several additional months.

An additional commitment is that of energy resources. Once started, there is very little sustaining inertia that will allow a videotape project to continue unattended. In order to progress forward, one must provide the energy necessary to exert constant and steady pressure for the project's duration.

4. Technical Expertise

There are two portions of the project that require technical expertise. The first requires a great deal of video technical information. One must consider both time-lapse and real time modes of recording. If time-lapse recording is desired, then special recording equipment is necessary. If this recording is to be maintained continuously during the entire project, then special mounting brackets and weather proof enclosures are necessary. The correct time-lapse interval must also be matched to the construction project's level of detail. A schedule must be developed that corresponds to this time interval selected, and allows for the re-supply of new recording cassettes.

Both the correct camera location and desired content of each shoot must be considered. The correct camera lens must be selected to match the recording situation. The help of professional video recording personnel is highly recommended. Technical expertise (as well as state of the art equipment) is also available from video sales companies that specialize in closed circuit television.

Within this area of technical expertise is an obvious necessity to understand the operation of the recording equipment, as well as an understanding of how the various shots may later be used during the video editing phase of production. This will require that personnel with professional video experience be utilized. It is also important that there be continuity of these personnel doing the video shoots. Many of these shots are pre-planned, and on-going from week to week. A video recording log book is recommended to provide a comprehensive record of all previous recording activity. This allows a means of recalling details of previous shoots, and assists in providing needed continuity of effort.

The second area of required technical expertise is that of construction operations. It is necessary that a person who has knowledge of the construction activity attend each video shoot. This person must supply the experience necessary to determine which construction activities be included in each recording session. To the unskilled observer, a construction site appears filled with chaos, and it is possible to miss the orderly sequences of events. The untrained observer is also likely to fail to record complete construction activity cycles, and sub cycles, which are necessary for later analysis.

5. Financial Resources

It is important to allocate a complete budget. The materials portion of this estimate is a relatively simple calculation. The size of the required library of data tapes and master tapes can be estimated based on the frequency and length of scheduled video shoots. A few additional working tapes will also be required. Other recording costs might include purchase or rental of cameras, tripod, special mounting brackets and enclosures, cable, electric cords and timers. This list might also include estimated repair costs to damages caused by your recording visits. For rooftop use, one might also consider special protective mats to assure that no damage is caused by your crews.

The material costs are relatively minor when compared to the estimates of video labor costs. An approximation of the number of weeks of scheduled shoots, the number of crew person howl per shoot, and an hourly unit cost will provide a reasonable taping labor budget. The script writing and video editing budgets involve a design phase of the work that is more difficult to estimate. However, the work involved in this phase is like development of any other written material. A professional production studio must be consulted for an estimate of the final video editing, the development of special effects, computer graphics, music, and narration.

It has been estimated that the total production budget for a videotape such as , "The Building of Tehama Hall‑The Foundation", is within the range of $17,000 to $20,000.

The following unit cost items may prove helpful in developing a videotape budget.

Total Budget Estimate

Includes all expenses based on per minute of finished video run time $800 to $1,000 /min.

6. Support

The video production effort must be supported by one's academic administration. Without this support, it is unlikely that the sufficient funds will be budgeted to produce a successful project. The peer faculty support must also be obtained. They must be ready to include such tapes into their respective courses. This naturally assumes that the subject matter of the tape and the quality of the production are appropriate to their class room needs. It should be mentioned, that the findings presented in part three of this report provide evidence that justifies this support.

7.Data Cataloging

As the videotape recording is completed, and the raw data tapes are collected, it becomes necessary to catalogue all of the pertinent items that are found in each video segment. It will become important during the editing phase to incorporate portions of these into a working tape that follows the story line of the script. Only small portions from each of the data tapes will be utilized in this final production.

The format of the cataloging system will likely vary for each specific type of video project. However, the following should be considered:

1. tape number

2. date of shoot

3. camera location

4. time of shoot

5. quality of shoot obeginning and ending footage (or time)

6. construction systems (seven categories)

7. material classifications (16 CSI divisions)

8. a brief key word description of the segment

As each segment of raw tape is reviewed, it should be classified into these various data groups. This process is well suited to a computer database software system. When completed the average video cassette tape may contain more than forty short segments. Each segment may be classified into an average of eight catalogue entries. This will result in a total project containing an excess of 14,000 items of data.

8. Script Writing

In order to blend the technical data into educational art form, the script writing phase of a video production will require the talents of a professional story teller. After the overall theme of the videotape has been determined, a story board is created to outline the visual path that the story should follow. The story board utilizes a series of sketches roughly approximating the actual footage to be included. Using this the script writer develops the narration, music,

special effects, graphics, transitions, length of each shot, and many other elements of the production. The script writing process requires writing, reviewing and editing, and rewriting through many generations of development.

9. Video Editing/Final Production

Although the script writer has created a precise story that has survived several critiques and edits, it is likely that this edit process will be continued well into the video editing process. While the script details what the video editor should attempt to create, it must be understood that not all of what the script calls for can be accomplished with the given inventory of data tapes that were collected. The video editor must make further changes to accommodate these specific limitations. When the first cut of this final version is presented and reviewed, it too will be subjected to critique and revision. Eventually from this process the final videotape will emerge.

  Part Two: Instructional Applications

Application

To plan for the successful introduction of videotape topics into construction education, thought must be given to the following areas:

1. Instructional Strategies

In class activities could have one of the following formats:

A "hook," which is an instructional technique to capture students' attention, can be used at the beginning of a lesson. Specific questions can focus students' attention on the important elements of the lesson to be presented.

Use of the video during the lesson can serve as a demonstration of a material, application, or concept.

Use of the video at the end of a lesson could emphasize concepts discussed during the preceding formal lecture.

The video could also be used as an assessment technique at the end of a lesson or a series of lessons. This assessment can be informal discussion or formal written questions. These written questions can be graded and assigned points or scanned for content and assigned a + or ‑ to judge participation.

Students can also view the video outside of scheduled class time and look for specific topics of interest, respond outside class to prepared questions, or prepare for an in‑class assignment.

2. Applicable Courses

The video series has significant possibilities to be utilized in 10 of the 17 courses taught at California State University, Chico. These 17 courses that range from freshman through senior/graduate are as follows:

Construction Graphics

Construction Materials & Systems

Analysis of Construction Drawings & Specifications

Electrical & Mechanical Systems

Principles of Soils & Foundations

Construction Methods Analysis

Construction Equipment

Project Control & Scheduling

Construction Estimating

Construction Cost Management

The following 4 additional courses have lesser applications:

Concepts of Construction

Statics

Mechanics of Materials

Temporary Structures

3. Format of Videotape

The main body of each of the videotapes should be in real time, VHS format. This portion will simulate a field trip to a construction site looking at materials, applications, and concepts. The majority of the classroom utilization will be focused in this portion of the tape.

Additional time‑lapse video in VHS format can be included for students to use as a source for analysis of the construction operation presented in the body of the tape. This analysis would utilize such techniques as crew balance, delay analysis, productivity analysis, value engineering, and others.

Part Three: Teaching Effectiveness

Background

In 1993, research was conducted to measure the effectiveness of videotape topics in the construction management curriculum.

Expectations

Because of the detailed content, and the controlled presentation of the videotape, it was reasonable to expect that a standard lecture presentation could not dispense equal information within the same time constraints as the video presentation. It was hypothesized that students viewing the videotape presentations would perform better overall when tested by comprehensive exams, than those experiencing the traditional lecture presentations.

Procedure

To achieve this collection of data a written examination was created. The existing videotape script was transcribed into hard copy. It then was edited into its most basic statements of content. These were grouped into categories containing; facts, concepts, or graphics. Eventually, fifteen specific questions were developed, five for each category. For each question, a follow-up question asked the student to rate the degree of confidence with which s/he felt the answer was correct.

The original video script also was used to develop a specific lecture presentation that contained identical material to that of the videotape. For this lecture, special overhead transparencies were created to supplement the content. The use of the chalkboard also was employed. It was believed that this lecture would accurately emulate the "traditional" educational model.

A sample group of 186 students was selected to whom the presentations were made. This group was divided into freshmen/sophomore students, junior students, and senior students. Each of the three subgroups was further subdivided to allow one subgroup to take the exam without any presentation of information, one subgroup watched the videotape prior to the exam, and the final subgroup was presented the lecture and then the exam. The individual tests were kept within their respective peer groups. These data were entered onto a test data input form. These were entered onto a spread sheet (see appendix) where they were scored for correctness and confidence. The test answers were also sorted according to category of test question and then scored according to subgroups. The specifics of this summary allow for several avenues of detailed discussions The learning rates that were utilized in this analysis were graphically prepared by plotting percentage of correct answer per minute of presentation time. The scores for those who took the exam without seeing either presentation were entered as the "y" intercept at time zero. The other respective test scores were then entered at their corresponding time scaled location. The actual rate of learning curve was drawn by approximation, and is not represented by formula.

Findings

The fundamental finding of this effort, was those who experienced the video presentation generally answered questions with greater accuracy and with greater confidence than those who were presented the lecture.

During the analysis of the data two questions were found to produce highly inconsistent results. The cause was not identified, however, the final data included in the analysis has omitted these questions. In order to maintain the same ratio of question types, a third question was also omitted. The resulting data includes answers for four questions in each category; conceptual, factual, and graphic.

Conclusions

1. When using a lecture presentation method, it was found to be impossible to present all of the same information within an equal amount of time , as a videotape presentation. This problem was not caused by classroom interruptions (no questions were permitted). The problem appeared to be a function of the absolute control of timing and content that is available within the videotape presentation format, and lacking during the lecture presentation. The only means the lecture presentation could be shortened was by the omission of content. However, no material which specific exam questions were based was omitted. The lecture presentations were 140% longer than the video presentation. This inequality of time management could not be mitigated within this research activity. It should be realized, however, that the test scores which resulted from the lecture process were included in spite of the bias in their favor attributable to the additional instructional time.

As a result of the original findings, a subsequent video presentation was given to a new group of students. These students were allowed to view the video for twenty-two minutes (approximately one and one half times). They were then tested and their data entered into the spreadsheet. This data allowed a better delineation of the rate of learning curve. This was the only videotape presentation that exceeded the fifteen minute length of the standard videotape.

2. When the spreadsheet data was entered into a graphic format, the results clearly indicated that those who participated in the video presentations demonstrated learning rates that were 16% higher, and with a confidence 12% higher than did those in the lecture groups.

3. The data collected from this research suggests that certain types of course content might be learned with a higher success rate if presented in a visual medium. For example, the statics courses could be far more effective if a discussion of a beam's bending force was illustrated with detailed visual aids. Even concepts such as accounting or law could benefit by the use of such graphics. The research conducted has provided evidence to suggest that this learning rate for graphic materials is 28% higher when video presentations are included in construction education.

Perhaps, it is true after all. A picture is worth a thousand words--and then some!