


































Global Research in Higher Education 
ISSN 2576-196X (Print) ISSN 2576-1951 (Online) 

Vol. 7, No. 3, 2024 

www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/grhe 

54 

 

Original Paper 

The Research on Teaching Reform of Civil Engineering 

Construction Course Based on Rich Practical Teaching 

Liu Yang
1*

, Gao Jing, Song Ming-zhi
2
 & Kong Zhe

2
 

1
 Intelligent Construction Department, Qingdao City University, Qingdao, China  

2
 Department of Engineering Management, Qingdao City University, Qingdao, China 

*
 Liu Yang, E-mail: yang.liu1@qdc.edu.cn 

 

Received: October 10, 2024     Accepted: October 22, 2024    Online Published: October 25, 2024 

doi:10.22158/grhe.v7n3p54                 URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/grhe.v7n3p54 

 

Abstract 

As a comprehensive, practical, and timely course, the Civil Engineering Construction course requires 

university teachers to possess systematic theoretical knowledge and practical engineering experience. 

Therefore, universities need to establish a “dual-qualified” teaching team through industry-academic 

collaboration. This paper focuses on the Civil Engineering Construction course at Qingdao City 

College, collaborating with Zhongqing Jian’an Construction Group Co., Ltd., to discuss the model of 

school-enterprise cooperation and the understanding of curriculum reform oriented towards practical 

teaching. This paper highlights the significant contribution of strong collaboration between schools 

and enterprises in practical teaching to improving the quality of talent cultivation in the civil 

engineering profession. Based on the educational research projects at Qingdao City College, it 

primarily investigates the expansion of school-enterprise cooperation forms, the development of 

industry-academic-research project collaborations, the exploration of new models for curriculum 

design guidance, the construction of a reasonable and comprehensive teaching system for green 

construction courses, and the innovation of teaching methods. 

Keywords 

Civil Engineering Construction, Practicality, Curriculum Reform 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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1. Background of the Research Topic 

1.1 Order-Based Training for “Cultivating High-Quality Creative Talents” 

Order-based training refers to the agreements signed between enterprises and schools regarding talent 

cultivation needs, where enterprises arrange employment for students according to the terms of the 

agreement. This model has a clear employment purpose and fosters close connections between schools 

and enterprises. All three parties—schools, enterprises, and students—benefit from this arrangement. In 

order-based training, all three parties must sign an agreement, which clarifies the rights and obligations 

of each. For the school, the focus is on helping students acquire practical operational skills through 

simulated internships and on-the-job training. The enterprises specify their hiring needs and standards, 

and the school trains students accordingly. Ultimately, both the school and the enterprise assess the 

students, allowing qualified students to secure employment within the company. 

1.2 Work-Study Integration Model Maximizing Student Participation under Teacher Guidance 

The work-study integration talent cultivation model emphasizes joint efforts by schools and enterprises 

to guide students. It combines the professional knowledge and practical skills learned in school with 

real-world work experiences in enterprises, providing strong conditions for students’ future 

employment. Teachers should utilize their positions to guide and stimulate students’ desire for 

knowledge and interest in learning. For example, they might present a real problem related to a project 

near the school or reflect on how earthquakes impact the design and construction quality of buildings. 

Teachers should provide ideas without giving answers, encouraging students to visit, understand, and 

research extensively before engaging in thorough discussions and expressing their opinions. Finally, 

the teacher will analyze the outcomes. In this process, the teacher acts as an observer rather than a 

judge, motivating students and maximizing their active role in learning. 

 

2. The Significance of the Topic Research and the Research Ideas 

2.1 Significance of the Research Topic 

This research aims to cultivate applied talents at the undergraduate level in civil engineering, 

specifically focusing on developing civil professionals who “understand construction management 

methods”. Currently, new projects and cities consume vast amounts of natural resources and energy, 

and the government is increasingly strengthening its efforts in environmental governance. The 

construction industry is a key focus of national governance. However, there is a significant shortage of 

talents who truly grasp the application of construction management methods. This research is 

meaningful as it aims to establish a practical, construction-oriented curriculum system in civil 

engineering, thereby cultivating new management talents that align with national policy requirements. 

 

 

 



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2.2 Effective School-Enterprise Cooperation 

By adopting a model of “collaborative research on training programs, collaborative development of 

teaching resources, collaborative teaching, and collaborative employment”, we can effectively achieve 

school-enterprise cooperation. This approach aims to cultivate applied technical and skill-based talents, 

enhancing students’ employability and entrepreneurial capabilities. It provides enterprises with new 

composite application talents and improves the employment rate of our students, thereby establishing 

our school as a brand in specialized fields. 

2.3 Enhancing Teachers’ Practical and Innovative Skills 

Through the school-enterprise cooperation model, our teachers can immerse themselves in enterprises 

and on-site operations, gaining insights into advanced construction technologies and scientific 

management methods used in actual construction. This experience significantly enhances teachers’ 

practical skills. During the curriculum reform process, our teachers continuously explore new teaching 

methods and techniques, thereby improving their innovative capabilities. 

 

 

Figure 1. Translation: Research Ideas for the Topic  

 

 

 

 

 

 



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3. Education and Teaching Project Development and Completion Status 

The entire project’s progress plan and goals are divided into three phases: 

Phase One: September 2019-March 2020: This phase involved formulating the research plan for the 

reform and practice of civil engineering construction teaching. 

Phase Two: April 2020-March 2021: In this phase, the implementation plan was carried out, which 

included extensive reading of theoretical works, conducting surveys, collecting materials, and writing 

papers. 

Phase Three: April 2021-September 2021: This phase focused on organizing materials, writing papers, 

final reports, and applying results. 

In April 2020, the project team members began to implement the plan and collect materials. During this 

phase of concrete work, two preparatory actions were particularly emphasized: 

3.1 Purchase of Theoretical Books 

One-quarter of the educational reform funding was allocated to acquire various theoretical books. The 

team members committed to thorough reading of these texts to enhance their theoretical knowledge and 

understanding, which would support the research of the project. 

3.2 Conducting Surveys 

The project team undertook a series of surveys to reference and learn from the successful experiences 

of others in the field. This effort not only enriched their understanding but also strengthened external 

connections, laying the groundwork for the practical implementation of reforms. These preparatory 

steps aimed to ensure a solid foundation for the subsequent phases of the project, enabling the team to 

effectively apply the insights gained in their curriculum and teaching practices. 

From September 2021 to the present, the research team’s previous findings have been applied in the 

teaching of the “Civil Engineering Construction” course. 

 

4. Major Reform Achievements and Practical Effects of Educational Teaching Projects 

Since April 2020, the research team members have actively engaged in research work. The team is 

responsible for the reform research of the teaching practice component, specifically applicable to the 

revision of the teaching plan. In the teaching plans for the 2018 and 2019 cohorts in civil engineering 

construction, the requirement to use construction management software has been strengthened in the 

practical teaching component—namely, in course design. The main members of the research team have 

incorporated more practical construction teaching content into the theoretical teaching of civil 

engineering construction, utilizing multimedia teaching methods such as presentations and videos to 

enhance students’ understanding of construction concepts. The collaboration between the school and 

industry is mainly achieved through the “One Course, Two Teachers” model, where external mentors 

introduce students to the necessity of construction in real engineering projects. 



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The main classes discussed in this article are Engineering Management and Civil Engineering. In the 

course design for these two majors, construction management-related software has been utilized to 

create a three-dimensional simulation layout of the project’s site plan. The schedule control has 

employed a time-scaled network plan for dynamic progress control. During the preparation of the 

construction plan, software calculations have been used for temporary water and electricity usage, 

reflecting the green energy-saving requirements in construction. Student feedback has been positive, 

indicating that they can effectively connect theory with practice. 

 

5. Features and Innovations in the Reform of Civil Engineering Construction Courses 

In the teaching of civil engineering construction courses, we integrate construction skills training with 

safety management education, primarily using case-based teaching to cultivate students’ systematic 

understanding of engineering project construction. This is also a direction for the blended teaching of 

the course, with both online and offline components. The course includes numerous discussion sessions 

to stimulate students’ interest in learning. 

In response to the characteristics of the course and existing teaching issues, the research team studied 

the specific construction measures of top undergraduate courses in domestic universities. They 

collected feedback from the industry regarding the knowledge base and technical skills required for 

practical construction talents, as well as the demands from enterprises regarding students’ capabilities. 

The team believes that the blended course construction should focus on the following aspects. 

5.1 Optimize Course Teaching Objectives 

The civil engineering construction course has applied for the development of a university-level top-tier 

course. Taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the construction of top undergraduate 

programs, it aims to strengthen the collaboration between the university and enterprises. This involves 

inviting experienced personnel from large construction companies to teach on campus, establishing a 

fixed model for this collaboration. 

Through feedback from these enterprises, we will optimize the teaching objectives of the course, 

ensuring that the concept of green construction is deeply ingrained in students’ understanding. Actual 

engineering cases from the companies will be used as teaching content to clarify and emphasize key 

knowledge points, optimizing students’ knowledge structure and forming a balanced knowledge system 

that integrates both technical and management aspects. 

5.2 Increase Extracurricular Interest Experiment Sessions 

With the opportunity of integrating on-campus resources for the development of top undergraduate 

programs, we should encourage students to participate in extracurricular interest experiments. Students 

can collaborate with teachers to independently conduct some practical experiments related to 

foundational construction practices, such as concrete performance testing, to enhance their 



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understanding of construction concepts and to select more environmentally friendly materials and 

advanced technologies. 

Additionally, teachers should incorporate ideological and political education into the course to enhance 

students’ professional identity and vocational quality. This will help form intrinsic motivation and 

stimulate students’ interest in independent learning. 

5.3 Enrich Online Teaching Resources 

Establish a course resource database that provides ample engineering case studies, diversifies the types 

of resources, and enhances student engagement in learning. Include review questions to reinforce 

students’ retention and understanding of textbook knowledge, thereby laying a solid foundation for 

promoting the course as a quality course and a top undergraduate program. 

5.4 Enhance Teachers’ Engineering and Teaching Abilities 

Teachers can apply to the college for opportunities to work in enterprises during their free periods, 

thereby increasing their engineering experience. This will enable them to fully grasp management 

techniques for construction, as well as methods for process control and quality control. They will also 

understand the substantial differences in detail handling between new methods, new techniques, and 

traditional construction practices. 

5.5 Reform Teaching Methods and Approaches 

In 2020, the online teaching model was widely implemented, revealing significant deficiencies in the 

online teaching skills and proficiency of instructors. To address this, teachers in the research group 

should participate in network teaching training organized by the school. They need to become 

proficient in using more than one online teaching software, learn to upload teaching materials to the 

Chaoxing teaching platform, and conduct online classes. 

In terms of teaching methods, there is a strong effort to change traditional teaching approaches, update 

course content, and adopt teaching methods that emphasize the cultivation of engineering practical 

skills, such as inquiry-based, discussion-oriented, self-directed, problem-based, and practical 

approaches. The aim is to enhance the dynamism, engagement, and interactivity of classes while 

promptly summarizing teaching experiences to feed back into classroom instruction, thereby forming a 

continuous course improvement model. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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6. The Level of Achievements in the Reform of Civil Engineering Construction Courses and 

Their Practical Application Value 

In the process of conducting research and experimental practices, there will certainly be some specific 

practical outcomes. Although these are not the direct results of the research, they can be included in the 

analysis of practical outcomes or impact of results in the final report. These practical effects of research 

typically include the following aspects: 

Student Level: There has been a significant increase in students’ interest in learning, an enhancement in 

their self-directed learning abilities, and an improvement in their proficiency with construction 

management-related software. The practical aspect has been strengthened, and students’ 

problem-solving skills have also improved. 

Teacher Level: Through the implementation of this project, teachers’ research and teaching levels have 

improved, their practical skills have been strengthened, and their research capabilities have been 

enhanced. 

School Level: The results have been promoted within the Civil Engineering and Engineering 

Management programs. The teaching quality of civil engineering construction courses has improved, 

and students’ grades are generally better, reflecting the unique characteristics of the college. 

Societal Level: The project aligns with the national green energy-saving policy and represents the 

direction for future development in construction engineering. 

The distinctive feature of this project lies in how to stimulate students’ enthusiasm by utilizing various 

teaching methods and strategies to comprehensively enhance the quality and effectiveness of the course 

instruction. 

 

7. Conclusion 

Through the implementation of the Civil Engineering Construction course, the teaching team has 

reformed and adjusted the teaching content and syllabus. The curriculum now includes teaching on 

construction, integrating real engineering site situations and case analyses to elucidate the purpose and 

significance of construction practices. 

By improving teaching methods and utilizing construction management software, the classroom 

experience has become richer, more dynamic, vivid, intuitive, and easier to understand. This significant 

enhancement in the information provided effectively alleviates the challenges posed by reduced class 

hours and increased teaching content, resulting in better teaching outcomes. 

Moreover, practical teaching has been strengthened, with innovative course design being developed. 

The course design emphasizes students’ ability to use construction management software, reflecting 

their central role in the learning process. It focuses on cultivating engineering practice skills, problem 

analysis and resolution abilities, and a rigorous work ethic. This approach better achieves the goal of 



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linking theory with practice, encouraging students to identify, think about, and solve problems. 

Consequently, it has been well-received by the students. 

 

References 

Chen, X. L., He, H. T., & Ruan, X. Q. (2016). Research on the Curriculum Reform of “Civil 

Engineering Construction and Organization” Oriented by Vocational Skills Competitions. Value 

Engineering, 35(26), 265-267. 

Wang, W., Liao, L., & Liu, J. (2018). Research on Teaching Reform of Construction Technology 

Courses under New Circumstances. Western Quality Education, 2018(11).  

Zhao, J. J., Feng, S. C., Yang, R. Y. et al. (2019). Analysis of the Construction and Technological 

Upgrades of Coal-fired Smart Power Plants in the New Infrastructure Era. Shenhua Technology, 

17(12), 5-10.  

 


