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To understand factors that influence successful practitioner participation in meeting the course support needs of instructors, we utilized a survey to conduct an empirical analysis to model the critical success path of practitioners’ support for student development in practitioner-instructor collaborations. Our results indicated that student-related factors are significant and have a moderate influence. Also, instructor-related factors have a significant impact and large effect on student-related factors. Findings can inform the design and management of practitioners’ provision of instructors’ course support needs. These insights aid student development through practitioner-instructor collaborations. 

As a precursor to designing the ConPEC platform for stronger industry-academia collaborations, we investigated factors which instructors would consider when collaborating with practitioners to complement their pedagogical efforts. We found that instructors' considerations were influenced by students' preferences and bias, students' career and development, student learning outcomes, curriculum structure, as well as ethnic and gender diversity. Findings inform input for the design of web-based collaborative networks. Also, this study contributes to expanding literature on industry-academia collaborations for workforce development. 

We designed and developed our web platform, ConPEC, to bridge the gap between instructors and practitioners in the construction industry. Subsequently, we recruited 20 construction instructors to interact with the ConPEC platform for evaluation purposes. Results showed the potential for ConPEC to enhance academic pedagogy by providing instructors with improved access to practitioners and fostering a blend of theory and practical knowledge needed in industry. Users perceived ConPEC as useful, user-friendly, and likely to be adopted. 

The need to prepare students for the workplace, shortage of skilled labor, and fast-paced changes in the industry necessitate improvements in the pedagogical frameworks of educational communities. Practitioners are required to provide practical insights, rigor, and realism to complement academia pedagogic efforts in construction education. However, this is being plagued by several complexities. Leveraging advances in computational techniques, this paper presents the considerations of practitioners and instructors in workforce development collaborations as inputs for a graphical user interface of a technology-driven matching platform for connecting professional and educational communities. Practitioners’ considerations are students and specific course-support related, while instructors’ considerations are related to practitioner suitability, project, and company characteristics. The study contributes to human factors principles in user interface design as well as user-centered design principles by highlighting information requirements of a collaborative network of instructors and practitioners. The findings of this study also provide insights to enhance industry-academia collaborations. 

Abstract Women professionals are underrepresented in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. As part of a larger and longitudinal nationwide study that constructs grounded theories to explain professional identity development (PID) processes in undergraduate AEC women, the purpose is to examine the lived experiences of first-year AEC women. Using purposive sampling, 40 AEC women from five institutions completed surveys with open-ended questions about salient first year experiences. Also, resumes and academic transcripts were obtained. Adopting the grounded theory approach and constant comparative analysis, data was analyzed using the NVivo Qualitative Analysis software for coding, categorization, and theme development. Data analysis reveals a critical question on the minds of first-year AEC women: Is this AEC profession a good fit for me? Utilizing four categories and twelve subcategories, an emerging theory, Sparking AEC-PID Through Agency and Networks, highlights the role of interactions between self and structures in forming AEC-PID and influencing women persistence in undergraduate AEC programs. This theory proposes important predictors of AEC-PID and AEC persistence in women. It captures cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and academic processes that spark AEC-PID in women. Positive interactions between self and AEC program environments strengthen AEC-PID because of improvement in AEC knowledge, views, mindsets, and efforts to explore niches for progression in undergraduate AEC programs and towards AEC professions. However, the lack of gender diversity remains a concern. Also, heavy workloads and unfavorable program conditions cause stress, particularly in Architecture women. These negative interactions weaken AEC-PID because they result in declining views about the AEC profession. Therefore, women persistence in undergraduate AEC programs requires developing the ‘survival’ mentality and spurring the super woman mindset. While medium to strong AEC-PID sustains the desire to persist in many Prevailing women, medium AEC-PID is also associated with lowered desire to persist as a few Hesitant women become open to other careers options. Excessively negative interactions erode AEC-PID and the desire to persist, as one Yielding woman plans her AEC program exit. It is critical that undergraduate AEC women are provided early AEC gateway experiences that assure them that AEC programs and professions are a good fit for them. Insights have theoretical and practical implications towards transformations that will strengthen the attraction, preparation, and retention of the next generation of AEC women. In the long term, this would reduce AEC workforce shortages and foster the innovation of more gender friendly AEC products and services. 

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global educational systems with institutions transitioning to e-learning. Undergraduate STEM students complained about lowered motivation to learn and complete STEM course requirements. To better prepare for more effective STEM education delivery during high-risk conditions such as pandemics, it is important to understand the learning motivation challenges (LMCs) experienced by students. As part of a larger national research study investigating decision-making in undergraduate STEM students during COVID-19, the purpose of this research is to examine LMCs experienced by undergraduate STEM students. One hundred and ninety students from six U.S. institutions participated in Qualtrics-based surveys. Utilizing a five-point Likert scale, respondents ranked the extent to which they agreed to LMC statements. Using Qualtrics Data Analysis tools and MS Excel, data from 130 useable surveys was analyzed utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics. Results revealed that regardless of classification, GPA, age, or race, STEM students experienced LMCs. The top five LMCs were: (1) Assignment Overloads; (2) Lack of In-Person Peer Interactions; (3) Uncaring Professors; (4) Lack of In-Person Professor Interactions; and (5) Lack of In-Person Laboratory Experiences. Significant relationships existed between three characteristics (GPA, classification, and age) and few LMCs to include assignment overloads. Students tended to attribute lowered motivation to Institutional and Domestic challenges which were typically out of their control, rather than to Personal challenges which were typically within their control. Crosstab analysis suggested that Sophomores, Asians, as well as students with GPAs between 2.00 and 2.49 and aged 41 to 50 years may be the most vulnerable due to higher dependence on traditional in-person STEM educational environments. Early identification of the most vulnerable students should be quickly followed by interventions. Increased attention towards sophomores may reduce exacerbation of potential sophomore slump and middle-child syndrome. All STEM students require critical domestic, institutional, and personal resources. Institutions should strengthen students’ self-regulation skills and provide increased opportunities for remote peer interactions. Training of faculty and administrators is critical to build institutional capacity to motivate and educate STEM students with diverse characteristics in e-learning environments. Pass/fail policies should be carefully designed and implemented to minimize negative impacts on motivation. Employers should expand orientation and mentoring programs for entry-level employees, particularly for laboratory-based tasks. Research is needed to improve the delivery of STEM laboratory e-learning experiences. Findings inform future research, as well as best practices for improved institutional adaptability and resiliency. These will minimize disruptions to student functioning and performance, reduce attrition, and strengthen progression into the STEM workforce during high-risk conditions such as pandemics. With caution, findings may be extended to non-STEM and non-student populations. 

Professor-student interactions influence student learning experiences and performance. The COVID pandemic transformed STEM learning environments across U.S. institutions; however, its impact on STEM professor-student interactions and STEM student learning experiences are yet to be understood. The purpose of this nationwide inductive research study is to examine the impact of COVID-19 on professor-student interactions, undergraduate STEM student learning, and STEM student performance. To achieve this, a qualitative method is adopted and purposive sampling is utilized to enroll 63 STEM students from six U.S institutions. Data is collected through one-hour ZOOM interviews, giving students the opportunity to narrate their STEM learning experiences and performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data is analyzed using the NVIVO qualitative analysis software for coding, categorizing, memo-ing, and constant comparative analysis. Results reveal emergent codes on the STEM professor-student interactions to include professor leniency, caring attitude, availability, communication, instruction style, teaching resources, technology literacy, camera on/off requirements, live/recorded sessions, time zone, and student workload. Limited positive impacts on student learning include improved familiarity with alternate STEM learning resources and development of virtual learning soft skills. Negative learning experiences are extensive and coded as: poor comprehension, keeping up, overdrive, isolation, lowered motivation, schedule conflicts, and anxiety. Consequently, students made adaptation decisions coded as: alternate learning sources, refined scheduling, community support, preferring teaching assistants, working out, reporting professors, procrastination, and tuning out. While proactive students and students with prior virtual learning experiences improved or maintained their grades, many students opted for the pass/fail grade or complete withdrawal due to poor STEM learning and performance. Findings indicate that while STEM professors were adjusting to modified teaching environments, many STEM students were developing a sense of independence, self-study, and peer reliance to improve their own STEM understanding and performance with minimal reliance on STEM professors. Lessons learned and best practices for professor-student interactions and student learning are recommended for potential replication in STEM communities for improved adaptability and resiliency during future pandemics. Future research will focus on measuring the effect of best practices on professor-student interactions, student learning experiences, and performance. 

Nascent Professional Identity Development in Freshman Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Women Increasing the persistence of talented women into male-dominated architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professions could reduce prevailing workforce shortages and improve gender diversity in AEC industry. Identity theorists advocate that professional identity development (PID) improves students’ persistence to become professionals. However, little empirical research exists to inform and guide AEC educators and professionals on AEC-PID in undergraduate AEC women. As the preliminary part of a larger nationwide and longitudinal research study investigating PID processes in undergraduate AEC women, the objective of this research is to examine the characteristics and nascent AEC-PID in 69 women enrolled in freshman AEC courses in five U.S. institutions. A purposive sampling approach ensures participants have a wide range of demographic characteristics. Data from a recruitment survey is analyzed using the NVivo qualitative data analysis software. Content and relational inductive open coding are conducted vertically for each participant and horizontally across different participants. Results indicate passion/interest, inherent abilities, significant others, benefits from industry, and desire to contribute to industry influence decisions to pursue AEC careers. With 52% of participants having science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) subject preferences, an in vivo code, Perfect Middle Ground, demonstrated the quest to combine STEM and visual art preferences in AEC career decisions. A participant noted that ‘this major (civil engineering) is the perfect middle ground because I can be creative, but still use my strong gift which happens to be math’. Girls with STEAM strengths and passion, particularly in math and fine art, are most likely to develop nascent AEC-PID. Beyond STEM pre-college programs, AEC educators should consider recruiting from sports, as well as visual and performing arts events for pre-college students. Participants’ positive views focus on the importance and significant societal impact of the AEC industry; while, negative views focus on the lack of gender and racial diversity. A combination of participants’ AEC professional experiences and views reveal four increasing levels of nascent AEC-PID which are categorized as the 4Ps: Plain, Passive, Progressive, and Proactive. As a guide to AEC education and professional communities, recommendations are made to increase the AEC-PID of women in each category. With the highest nascent AEC-PID, women in the Proactive category should serve as leaders in AEC classrooms and student organizations. Considering their AEC professional experience and enthusiasm, they should serve as peer mentors to other students, particularly AEC women. Furthermore, they should be given the opportunity to step into more complex roles during internships and encouraged to pursue co-op opportunities. Insights can guide more targeted recruitment, mentoring, preparation, and retention interventions that strengthen the persistence of the next generation of AEC women professionals. In the long term, this could reduce AEC workforce shortages, improve gender diversity, and foster the innovation and development of more gender friendly AEC products and services.