A survey into the effectiveness of web-based teaching of building design cost management

The design and construction of building projects is a complex and demanding process, involving a variety of different disciplines including architecture, quantity surveying, engineering and construction management. Their common objective is to deliver, on behalf of clients commissioning construction work, buildings of the right quality at the right price and within the right time scale. A related imperative is the need for improvements in communications between all the parties involved in the design and construction process. This will ensure the achievement of the overall objective by a more effective information management system, underpinned by information technology, to overcome the many criticisms of the industry, in terms of delivering projects, which are often late, over budget and of poor quality. This paper evaluates the use of a web site, that has been developed by the authors, to accompany a text book. Together they set out to explain the process of design cost management, by reference to a simulated project, to demonstrate its application.The paper utilizes a questionnaire methodology, to gather data on the effectiveness of the approach in developing knowledge and skills in this important subject area, from an interdisciplinary group of final level undergraduate students, studying quantity surveying and construction management programmes. The paper reflects upon the design and structure of the web site to facilitate learning in applied construction economics.