Wireless Webcam Field Trips: Construction students tour jobsites without leaving the classroom

Construction management educators are frequently presented with a difficult choice: Do I organize the field trip and sacrifice hours of class time, for the ability to provide a half-hour real-world experience for my students? This book describes the configuration of wireless webcam equipment as it was piloted on construction sites and utilized for field trips in two construction management classes at Purdue University. Lessons learned from the pilot activities facilitated the development of best practices for wireless webcam field trip implementation. A Wireless Webcam Lesson Plan Guide is provided as a framework for planning and implementing field trips that enhance educational objectives. As a result, the field trip can become an integrated part of the educational process rather than merely an entertaining diversion. The technical and educational planning described should be useful to construction educators and those that support distance learning activities as well as anyone interested in real-time audio and video communication with remote sites.

Mark Shaurette, PhD: Building Construction Management, Purdue University. MSCE: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bachelor of Building Construction: University of Florida. Current: Assistant Professor, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Past: President of Meridian Homes, Inc., Indianapolis, IN. Vice President of Ryan Homes, Pittsburgh, PA.