Synthesise a case study from a journal article focused on a contemporary construction issue.
Students are expected to use the Assessment 2 Template (below) to create and format their report. Students are encouraged to add to their assessment by finding other related information – peer-reviewed – that augments and extends the case study’s thinking.
Students are encouraged to rewrite their first draft of their case study to correct errors such as grammatical mistakes, word choices, awkward flow, tautology, split infinitives, and run-on sentences. This will be marked in accordance with the grading matrix. It is best if students adhere to all ”High Distinction” column attributes and eliminate all in the ”Unsatisfactory” column. See the grading matrix in the Learning Guide. Use Studiosity to its fullest extent. Students are asked to remove their name (keep student number) from their assessment so that marking bias, real or perceived, is minimised or eliminated.
Instruction: Make the assigned case study relevant to the Construction Industry by utilising other sources such as industry articles, association papers, news reports and subject content.
The case study is the basis for your report but is not the sole focus.
Students are encouraged and expected to add to their analysis by finding related information that augments and extends the case study’s thinking to make it relevant and valuable for the industry.
Length: Between 2,000 to 3,000 words.
Format:
- No cover page.
- Font type is 12-point Garamond.
- Margins are justified text (even margins as formatted on this page).
- Graphs, charts, tables, and other illustrations must be “standalone” – large enough to read the detail (10 point font suggested), the source noted, and labelled correctly (identified with caption).
- References and in-text citations must be in Harvard WSU format.
- No student name, only student number.
- Use section headers (see below) to delineate the sections.
- Use active voice as you would in industry
Process: These papers will be marked per the grading matrix in the learning guide. Students are encouraged to rewrite their case study’s first draft to correct grammatical mistakes, word choices, awkward flow, tautology, split infinitives, and run-on sentences. It is best if students adhere to all “High Distinction” column attributes and eliminate all in the “Unsatisfactory” column. Again, see the grading matrix in the Learning Guide. Use Studiosity to its fullest extent. Students are asked to remove their name (keep student number) from their assessment so that marking bias, real or perceived, is minimised or eliminated. Submit through Turnitin.
Note: Turnitin’s percentage similarity and highlight report will not be viewable to students.
Writing your paper: The report analyses a contemporary construction industry issue based on a case study assigned to you. Answering the following questions – suggested and not required – about the case study by synthesising the given case study with the help of related information found in industry articles, association papers, news reports and subject content that you find credible.
Executive Summary (suggested but not limited to 150 words)
What are the issues, and what was concluded
Introduction (suggested but not limited to 250 words)
What is the contemporary construction issue(s) being investigated?
Why is this topic critical and being explored and examined?
Background (suggested but not limited to 500 words)
What do industry, government, associations, companies or construction professionals (use their publications) say about the importance of this issue?
If solved, what is its impact on the industry, organisations, professionals and end-users?
What are the general methodologies chosen in research to investigate the issue?
Discussion (suggested but not limited to 500 words)
What are the general conclusions of the research and industry (such as think tanks, associations and construction firms) analysis on this topic?
Based on research and industry analysis by others, what are the possible solutions for eliminating or minimising the issue encountered?
Conclusions (suggested but not limited to 500 words)
Among those possible solutions, what is the optimum solution? Why is this the best answer in your and others’ opinion?
Will this area grow or shrink in its significance in Modern Construction Projects designed or constructed ten years from now? Why, in your and others’ opinion?
What new product or service may emerge from this research?
Why in your and others’ (such as think tanks, associations and construction firms) optimum?
Limitations of Report -Future Research Topics (suggested but not limited to 100 words)
What were some weaknesses of this report, topic areas not explored, and others that should be in the future?
References
Include the Case Study Journal Article assigned to you and other reference material you utilised