Simulation based construction management learning system

The incorporation into construction engineering and management curricula of tasks that improve the abilities of students to manage the complex dynamics, pressures and demands of construction sites is becoming critical to meet the demands of the construction industry. These goals are, however, difficult to incorporate using traditional educational tools. This paper reviews the role, in construction engineering and management education, of computing and information technology in general and of simulation in particular. The paper provides an overview of a simulation-based interactive construction management learning system currently being developed at Western Michigan University as part of a three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation and Western Michigan University.