Wireless Webcam Field Trips

Mark Shaurette, PhD: Building Construction Management, Purdue
University. MSCE: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bachelor
of Building Construction: University of Florida. Current:
Assistant Professor, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Past:
President of Meridian Homes, Inc., Indianapolis, IN. Vice
President of Ryan Homes, Pittsburgh, PA.

Construction management educators are frequently
presented with a difficult choice: Do I organize the
field trip and sacrifice hours of class time, for the
ability to provide a half-hour real-world experience
for my students? This book describes the
configuration of wireless webcam equipment as it was
piloted on construction sites and utilized for field
trips in two construction management classes at
Purdue University. Lessons learned from the pilot
activities facilitated the development of best
practices for wireless webcam field trip
implementation. A Wireless Webcam Lesson Plan Guide
is provided as a framework for planning and
implementing field trips that enhance educational
objectives. As a result, the field trip can become an
integrated part of the educational process rather
than merely an entertaining diversion. The technical
and educational planning described should be useful
to construction educators and those that support
distance learning activities as well as anyone
interested in real-time audio and video communication
with remote sites.