Construction simulation trial 2011: student interview results

The Unity version of the construction set of exercises is up and running and Mark has completed his paper workbook that goes along with it.

So this week we tried it out on two student groups. Went pretty well - here are the results of interviews with 19 construction pre-apps immediately after completing the simulation task series. Undertaken in groups of 1 to 4. All were male, aged 16 - 18.

Of 19 interviewed:

Experience with computers? 14
Consider yourself a gamer? 8
Do you use computers for:
- social networking: 17
- consuming media (eg video): 12
- playing games: 4

Had experience with construction work sites? 16
Helped to set up a work site before? 5

Expectations before starting course:
none/don't know: 16
fun because it's a game: 2
sounded interesting because was different: 1

Did you enjoy it? 19
Comments: 'better than writing up'

Do you feel more confident:
- going into a construction workplace? 16
Comments: 'you know what's there...hazards and that'/'not really'
- picking out OH&S hazards? 18
Comment: 'has made them easier to identify'
- setting up a work site? 18
- filling in a Safe Work Method Statement? 9
Comments: 'have already done this'/'our teacher has done it for us'/'same as what I already knew'
- reading building plans and documents? 18
Comment: 'same...knew this already'

Would you like to do other forms of learning in this way? 14
Comments: 'prefer something more hands on'/'it's good because it's hands on'