Enhancing Assessments in Engineering and Construction Education Through Student-Generated Podcasts

Post-COVID-19, the global education system continues to feel the effects of the pandemic. Changes in engineering and construction education are becoming the ‘new normal,’ with blended learning and diverse teaching pedagogies gaining prominence. As student learning evolves, it is important to diversify assessment strategies to accommodate various learning styles while ensuring inclusivity and fairness. To this end, this study explored student-generated podcasts (SGP) – rooted in a constructivist theory of learning – as an assessment tool in civil engineering and construction education at two higher education institutions, one in the United Kingdom and the other in South Africa. The study assessed overall student performance and module evaluation feedback, comparing results from both countries. Findings indicate that SGP can significantly enhance overall student performance. Additionally, SGP fosters essential skills such as oral presentation, critical thinking, creativity, and technological proficiency, which are vital for thriving in the 21st-century construction industry. However, employing SGP in a large class can be challenging due to the time required to assess each submission. The value of the study lies in the absence of similar studies exploring the use of SGP as a student-centred pedagogical approach to teaching and learning in engineering and construction programmes across two distinct countries.