Time pressure in scenario-based online construction safety quizzes and its effect on students’ performance

ABSTRACT

Online quizzes have been shown to be effective learning and assessment approaches. However, if scenario-based online construction safety quizzes do not include time pressure similar to real-world situations, they reflect situations too ideally. The purpose of this paper is to compare engineering students’ performance when carrying out an online construction safety quiz with time pressure versus an online construction safety quiz without time pressure. Two versions of an online construction safety quiz are developed and administered to randomly assigned engineering students based on a quasi-experimental post-test design. The findings contribute to scenario-based learning and assessment of construction safety in four ways. First, the results confirm earlier findings that ‘intrinsic stress’ does not seem to impair students’ performance. Second, students who carry out the online construction safety quiz with time pressure are less likely to ‘learn by trial and error'. Third, students exposed to time pressure appreciate that they become better prepared for real life. Finally, preparing students to work under time pressure is an important industry requirement. The results of this study should encourage engineering educators to explore and implement ways to include time pressure in scenario-based online quizzes and learning.

KEYWORDS:

• Online quiz
• construction safety
• time pressure
• student performance
• construction management

Notes on contributors

Martin Jaeger holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (Construction Economy and Management) from the University of Wuppertal, Germany. He spent the last 18 years working as site manager, consultant, and lecturer in Germany and the Middle East, is a University Associate with the University of Tasmania, Australia, and an Associate Professor with the Australian College of Kuwait.

Desmond Adair holds a PhD in Aerodynamics from Imperial College. He spent a number of years working as a Senior Research Engineer with NASA in California and NPL in Teddington, England. Dr Adair has also worked for British Aerospace and the UAE Defence Forces in senior education positions and before his present position as Professor with Nazarbayev University, he was a Senior Lecturer and University Associate with the University of Tasmania, Australia.