The Built Environment - It's A Game For Brum Students

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14 February 2019

Students hoping to roll the dice on a career in the built environment are being given a helping hand to climb the career ladder, after a new board game was created to help them learn while they play.

Sue Hayhow, Senior Lecturer in Property, Construction & Quantity Surveying at Birmingham City University, has produced the ‘Construct-it’ board game, which educates students on the lifecycle of property.

The game brings professional disciplines together to simulate a real-life, collaborative project and tackle some of the challenges which may be faced.

During Construct-it, built environment students or newly qualified practitioners, are tested on their knowledge of the whole lifecycle of a development, to help prepare them for careers in the industry.

A range of aspiring professionals, including architectural technicians, building surveyors, construction managers and quantity surveyors, can benefit from playing the game - and research has shown it to be a fun, engaging and challenging way of educating students.

Construct-it challenges players on their knowledge of best practice for construction as well as their ability to identify reasons for defects – such as premature deterioration of brickwork.

Questions have been tailored to link to key learning objectives embedded in built environment degree courses.

Sue Hayhow created the game as part of her EdD research. She said: “My main objective as a practicing and chartered Building Surveyor are to ensure that Birmingham City University graduates are equipped with the core knowledge, competencies and understanding of contemporary building surveying practices. As educators and practitioners, we have a duty to continually look to raise standards by finding new ways of engaging with our students to make the educational experience fun and captivating.”

Picture: Birmingham City University​

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 14 February 2019

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