Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Format
- Asynchronous Online: Learning takes place online and asynchronously within Canvas.
Course Materials
- Main Textbook: Construction Management Jumpstart (3rd Edition) by Barbara Jackson.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)
The Construction Industry Fundamentals course aligns with key program learning outcomes (PLOs) by providing a comprehensive foundation in the construction industry's structure, processes, and practices. Course learning outcomes (CLOs) A, B, C, D, E, and G support PLO 1 (Contracts, Bids & Negotiations) by exploring the industry's evolution, segments, roles, general processes, and characteristics. This knowledge is crucial for understanding the factors influencing a contractor's work acquisition efforts. CLOs A and F align with PLO 3 (Pre-construction Management) by introducing the historical context of the industry and blueprint reading skills, which are essential for construction estimating, planning, and scheduling. Together, these alignments ensure students develop a solid understanding of the construction industry's fundamentals, preparing them for more advanced concepts in project management, technology application, and leadership within the field.
- Contracts, Bids & Negotiations: Identify the processes and variables that impact a contractor's efforts to get work.
- Project Management & Budget: Apply concepts of effective project management controls and interpret how they impact a contractor's efforts to execute a project.
- Pre-construction Management: Apply concepts and best practice of construction estimating, planning, and scheduling.
- Software and Technology: Employ current technologies and concepts to make contractors effective and productive.
- Leadership & Management: Differentiate between hard and soft skills in effective construction management and communication among a diverse group of stakeholders.
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) Alignment
| CLO | Description | PLO |
|---|---|---|
| A |
Discuss the historical context of how the construction industry evolved to where it is today. |
1, 3 |
| B | Explain the different segments of the construction industry. | 1 |
| C | Compare the variety of roles, careers, and responsibilities available within the construction industry. | 1 |
| D | Recognize the characteristics of the different construction industry segments. | 1 |
| E | Identify the general construction process. | 1 |
| F | Demonstrate how to read blueprints and find information in specifications. | 3 |
| G | Compare the characteristics of the different construction industry segments. | 1 |
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Quizzes | Short assessments on construction industry terminology to reinforce key concepts and vocabulary essential for professional communication in the field. | 80 |
| Weekly Short Videos - Discussion Board | Brief video submissions exploring specific aspects of the construction industry and personal career goals, fostering ongoing reflection and peer engagement. | 180 |
| Midterm Presentation | A 4-5 minute video synthesizing learning from the first half of the course, demonstrating understanding of key concepts and articulating an evolving career pathway in construction. | 40 |
| Final Presentation - Career Plan Elevator Speech | A comprehensive 5-7 minute video presentation encapsulating course learnings and presenting a well-crafted career plan, delivered as a professional elevator speech for the construction industry. | 50 |
| Total | 350 |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Weekly Quizzes
Throughout the course, you will complete weekly quizzes focusing on essential construction industry terminology. These brief assessments are designed to reinforce key vocabulary and concepts crucial for effective communication in the field. Each quiz will cover terms introduced during this course, helping you to build a comprehensive understanding of industry-specific language. These quizzes not only support the retention of important terminology but also help to prepare you for professional discourse within the construction sector.
Weekly Short Videos - Discussion Board
Throughout this course, you will complete weekly video assignments that contribute to the development of your Career Plan in the construction industry. Each week, you'll respond to a specific prompt related to the course content, creating a 2-3 minute video that showcases your understanding and perspective. These assignments will help you explore various aspects of the construction industry, from its historical context to current roles and responsibilities. You'll submit your video to the class discussion board and engage in peer review by commenting on at least two of your classmates' submissions. The insights gained from these weekly assignments will inform your Midterm and Final Presentation - Career Plan Elevator Speech.
Midterm Presentation
The midterm video assignment marks a significant milestone in the development of your Career Plan in the construction industry. This assignment requires you to compile and synthesize the main takeaways from the first half of the course, demonstrating your cumulative understanding and perspective gained so far.
You will create a 4-5 minute video that showcases your ability to integrate course concepts and articulate your evolving career pathway. This midterm serves as a checkpoint, allowing for reflection on the learning journey and how it's shaping understanding of the construction industry.
The assignment provides an opportunity to:
- Consolidate insights from the first half of the course
- Identify emerging patterns in career interests
- Articulate an initial vision of a career pathway in construction
- Demonstrate understanding of key industry concepts covered so far
- Set the stage for deeper exploration in the second half of the course
This midterm is crucial in preparing you for the comprehensive synthesis required at the end of the course. The insights gained from this assignment will inform the Final Presentation, serving as a foundation for the Career Plan.
Final Presentation - Career Plan Elevator Speech
The final presentation serves as the culmination of your journey in developing a Career Plan for the construction industry. This assignment challenges you to synthesize all the knowledge and insights gained throughout the course into a concise, compelling elevator speech about your career pathway.
You will create a 5-7 minute video presentation that encapsulates:
- Key takeaways from each week's assignments
- A clear articulation of your envisioned career pathway in the construction industry
- Evidence of personal and professional growth throughout the course
- Application of course concepts to your individual career goals
This final presentation offers the opportunity to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the construction industry's various facets
- Showcase your ability to craft and deliver a professional elevator speech
- Reflect on your learning journey and how it has shaped your career aspirations
- Present a well-reasoned and informed career plan based on course learnings
Your elevator speech should be engaging, informative, and persuasive, suitable for a professional networking context. It should reflect your unique perspective and goals while grounded in the knowledge acquired during the course.
This assignment is designed to prepare you for real-world scenarios where you might need to succinctly present your career plans and aspirations to potential employers or industry professionals.
Course Policies
Communication
If you need to contact me, please e-mail me directly at terry.clinefelter@ou.edu. Canvas messaging is unreliable, please only use OU email for communication with me. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours, 48 hours max. Please note that work-life balance is very important to me, and I make an effort to avoid checking e-mail on the weekends if at all possible.
How will we address each other? In terms of titles, Terry works just fine. If you go by a name other than the one listed in Canvas, please tell me how you prefer to be addressed. Additionally, if I mispronounce your name, do not hesitate to correct me. Respecting another's preferred pronouns, titles, and pronunciations is an easy way to show respect to your colleagues and is something I take very seriously.
Feedback
Assignments will be graded within one week of submission. If you would like a deeper dive into any feedback or grade you receive, I am happy to set up individual Zoom meetings to discuss further.
Late Policy
Late work will be accepted with a grade penalty as specified in the assignment rubrics. All assignments must be submitted by the due date. Extensions must be arranged prior to the deadline. Late submissions will incur a 10% grade reduction per day, and assignments submitted 3 or more days late will receive zero points. Late work will be graded as soon as possible, but preference will be given to grading on-time submissions in the current week of the course.
Faculty members are not obligated to initiate contact with you before giving assignments or final grades. If you have several outstanding/late assignments, your grade may be seriously impacted. Students are expected to abide by the guidelines in the OU Student Handbook. Failure to abide by these guidelines can lead to sanctions as outlined in the OU Student Rights and Responsibilities Code.
Additional Support for Learning
The College of Professional and Continuing Studies provides links to writing resources. If you have questions about assignment requirements or would like to request feedback on a rough draft, you are encouraged to communicate with your course instructors while giving them enough lead time to respond before assignments are due.
The OU Writing Center is a wonderful resource available to all students and is funded in part by your student course fees. The Writing Center is equipped to help students both online and in-person.
OU Libraries resources are available to all PACS students, including the ability to live chat, e-mail, and/or call a reference librarian with questions you may have about finding and evaluating sources for research papers. Students also have access to PACS Library Guides.
Technical Support
Offered through Canvas Student Support and OU IT.
College of Professional and Continuing Studies Teaching Philosophy
We in the College of Professional and Continuing Studies (PACS) believe that higher education is a crucial ingredient in becoming a successful, personally fulfilled human being and an actively engaged citizen of the state, nation, and world. Further, we operate with the foundational assumption that a University of Oklahoma education should be available to all qualified students regardless of their age, geographic location, or life circumstances.
Acting on these assumptions, PACS strives to create significant and meaningful learning experiences through online and accelerated course delivery methods. All PACS courses incorporate interdisciplinary perspectives and provide students with a well-rounded, life-enriching liberal education combined with specialized study in selected program areas, thus preparing them for ever higher levels of learning. PACS faculty members provide instruction, encouragement, timely response, and constructive feedback to broaden and deepen the student's understanding of course materials.
We understand that adult learners prefer and have the best achievement within a collaborative and interactive learning environment while functioning on their own personal schedules. We also believe that all students are capable of learning, and we aspire to enable students' self-agency in attaining their personal learning goals.
College of Professional and Continuing Studies Expectations and Policies
You can expect instructors to:
- Challenge you to think about and understand the material in this course.
- Encourage you to learn the material in the course and become a lifelong learner.
- Be available to return e-mails in a timely fashion, within 48 hours.
- Engage you in discussions.
- Provide feedback.
As the student, you are expected to:
- Accept responsibility for your learning.
- Have all textbooks and course materials before the class starts.
- Be engaged in the course by logging in to the course early each week, checking online discussions for replies and questions related to your postings, reading course announcements, knowing when assignments are due, and turning in all assignments on time.
Many PACS courses are offered in compressed formats, so the time devoted to each class per week should be adjusted accordingly. Set aside enough time to read and understand assigned course materials early in the week, actively participate in class discussions, and successfully complete assessments such as quizzes, projects, written assignments, and research papers.
Read and apply feedback from your instructor. Reach out to ask your instructor any questions you have about the feedback.
Use only your OU email address for all OU correspondence and assignments.
Ask your advisor if you have questions about your degree program or other questions not related to a specific course.
Have a reliable computer and a reliable Internet connection. Do some pre-planning and have a backup plan ready in the event you should have computer or Internet problems.
Submit all assignments and communications related to your coursework in the Canvas online class; do not email assignments to the professor.
Practice your writing skills. Use tools to edit and proofread your papers prior to submission for grading.
Assignment Completion Policies
The College of Professional and Continuing Studies expects students to complete all assignments to earn a final grade in a given course.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Errata and Changes
Errors and omissions to this syllabus or class presentations will be revised as observed and do not constitute incomplete or late work from students. Students are responsible for bringing the professor’s attention to any and all possible errata they encounter. The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus and content based on course pacing and current events that may be relevant to the material.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|