Methods to assist in teaching planning and scheduling

Methods to Assist in Teaching Planning and Scheduling
Kris G. Mattila, Ph.D., P.E. Visiting Professor, USAFA, CO Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan James B. Pocock, Ph.D., R.A. Patrick C. Suermann, Captain, USAF United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

Many students struggle with the concepts of planning and scheduling when first introduced to it. This struggle extends from the introduction of work breakdown structure to network logic through the meaning of critical activities and continuing with other planning and scheduling topics. This paper explains methods used in Civil Engineering construction courses to assist students in understanding scheduling concepts. The basis for explaining these concepts is the student’s schedule of classes that comprise the requirements of their Civil Engineering degree. The technique of using material that students are familiar with to explain something new is a recognized educational theory. Key Words: Education, Construction, Planning, Scheduling Introduction The topic of planning and scheduling is difficult to understand for some students who are studying construction. This is particularly true for students without construction experience as they try to understand the relationships of construction activities. Further, the use of alphabetic characters to represent activities, such as, ”Activity C follows Activity B and precedes Activity D”, while providing a mechanism to teach the topic of planning and scheduling does not provide a basis for true understanding of the material. This paper presents methods to assist in teaching planning and scheduling using something that students are familiar with: their academic schedule of classes required for their particular degree. This paper uses a Civil Engineering curriculum to illustrate examples; however it could be any curriculum where the topic of planning and scheduling is taught. The methods presented in this paper can easily be adapted to various courses