University of Technology Sydney

16016 Construction Futures

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: School of the Built Environment
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 96 credit points of completed study in spk(s): STM90373 Core Subjects B Construction
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.

Description

The future of the construction and property industry has never had so much potential for change and such opportunity for improvement. This subject examines the broad industry trends that are shaping the future of our industry ('Why must it change?'); the technology developments that determine how the sector can respond ('What are the emerging technology options?'); and develops a framework of the critical enablers for change ('How will change happen?').

Students are required to demonstrate their understanding of the broad social, environmental, political and economic trends as they currently relate to the construction industry globally; identify a transformative emerging technology development and explain its relevance to the future of the Australian construction and property industry; and creatively develop their vision for an alternative future possibility. This subject turns the students' attention to the future, to their future, and what they can do now to better manage the coming change.

The subject is taught entirely online employing a guided learning approach with an extensive collection of curated online resources. It seeks to transition the student into a lifelong intellectual development pathway.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of the global trends that will shape the future of the construction industry
2. Analyse and evaluate emerging digital technologies in the particular context of the Australian construction industry
3. Reflect on the barriers and opportunities for alternative construction industry futures
4. Appreciate and value organisational innovation as an agent of change in the construction industry

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

  • Apply a variety of communication skills and technologies in professional contexts. (C.1)
  • Ability to provide and utilise innovative and creative solutions to industry/project issues and problems. (I.1)
  • Identify efficiencies in the sustainable deployment and management of resources. (P.6)
  • Source evaluate and use information to approach new projects/problems. (R.1)
  • Critically analyse, structure and report the results of a research project. (R.2)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:

C = communication and groupwork

A = attitudes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

The learning activities will involve:

  1. Online lectures that critically examine global trends, industry dynamics and innovation theory.
  2. Online presentation of case studies to show how these principles are applied to real life situations.
  3. A curated set of online learning resources that support the student to complete their assessment tasks.

The course is offered entirely online and is self-paced. Extensive online resources will be used to support the learning objectives of this subject, including video presentations, essential reading, case studies, web links and assessment tasks.

All documents will be accessible via UTS Canvas either by direct download or as a link to external resources. A detailed brief, associated tasks and assessments, and additional documentation will, therefore, be uploaded to this subject’s UTS Canvas site. The location of all documents referred to in any assessment task will be detailed in such a way as to make it is easily accessible to students. To further assist learning in this subject, essential and recommended readings, online presentations, and curated online resources will be made available.

The subject provides a range of formative feedback strategies. The assessment tasks are progressive. Feedback to assessment task 1 will provide formative feedback for assessment task 2, and so on.

Individual feedback on each assessment task will detail individual performance against the published marking criteria. Assessment tasks can be submitted at any time prior to a published due date, but grades and feedback will be withheld until after the due date and issued to all students collectively.

Content (topics)

This subject will build progressively to develop an understanding of the global trends and emerging innovations relevant to construction and property, in order to plan more effectively for the future of the industry and become an active agent of change. The subject is staged around three key questions:

1. Why must the construction and property industry change?

2. What technologies are emerging to enable that change?

3. How can you be an agent of that change?

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Global Challenges

Intent:

Based on guided lecture material and resources, individual students will develop a briefing paper specific to one of the key challenges related to module 1, as instructed in Assessment Task 1 brief. The purpose of the briefing paper is for each student to develop, justify and share their views on a critical driver of change in the construction industry.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.1, R.1 and R.2

Type: Report
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 30%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Depth and scope of the take home summary 15 3 R.2
Depth and scope of the challenge description 40 1 R.1
Quality and currency of the Covid19 impact. 20 1 R.1
Referencing 15 1 R.1
Structure and logic of the briefing paper. 10 1 C.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Emerging Possibilities

Intent:

Based on guided lecture material and readings, individual students will produce a presentation on an emerging technology/technologies being already applied in the construction and property industry to enable the change they discussed under Assessment Task 1. The purpose of the presentation is for each student to analyse a relevant innovation in depth and relate this to the construction and property industry.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.1, I.1, R.1 and R.2

Type: Case study
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 30%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Summary of key benefits 15 2 R.2
Depth and scope of digital technology description 20 2 R.1
Depth and scope of the case study. 40 3 I.1
Referencing 15 2 R.1
Quality of the case study submission 10 2 C.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Change Intervention

Intent:

Based on guided lecture material and readings, individual students will produce an organisational pitch to propose a realistic emerging technology trial adoption to a nominated organisation. The purpose of the pitch is for each student to develop an action plan and show how their innovation can impact a particular construction and property industry organisation.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 3 and 4

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.1, P.6, R.1 and R.2

Type: Presentation
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 40%
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Summary of the key challenge 10 1 R.2
Summary of the key digital technology 10 2 R.2
Quality of the case study example 20 3 R.2
Depth and scope of the proposed trial project. 35 4 P.6
Referencing 15 3 R.1
Design and submission 10 4 C.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.

Required texts

There are no required texts

Recommended texts

Extensive resources and recommended texts will be provided on Canvas.