Ideas are in four categories
Competences: valuing sustainability, supporting fairness, promoting nature
Competences: systems thinking, critical thinking, problem framing
Competences: futures literacy, adaptability, exploratory thinking
Competences: political agency, collective action, individual intiative
Caution!
Please, always make sure you follow your national regulation on copyrights. For example, you might need permission to watch an online video in the classroom.
For further ideas, solutions and tools, please, check the other fout VET sectors.
Embodying sustainability values
Competence: Valuing sustainability
When visiting companies with students, discuss also sustainability values and issues. For example UN Agenda2030 is a good framework of sustainabilitys that is widely used also by companies.
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Competence: Valuing sustainability
Use real-life examples of sustainability criteria and demands on value chain, for example a visiting lecturer from a company. You can also describe the value chain and how the customers’ sustainability demands effect the subcontractors.
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Competence: Valuing sustainability
Tell students about values, for example, write values on cards, ask students to choose their own values from the cards and tell about them. Discussion in small groups about the values.
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Competence: Valuing sustainability
Discuss challenges of social approach of building sector, add examples for students. You can find help from the article.
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Competence: Supporting fairness
Find a document film how the construction methods have changed during the years. Make students understand what the differences are with the past generations, why should they take a different approach instead of there parents and grandparents?
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Competence: Supporting fairness
First, teach students the characteristics and features of the building cultures of their region and different countries, modern and historical building methods and materials. Then send the students on their own to explore different buildings in the area, asking them to take pictures (if they are public buildings). Organise a debriefing discussion on the results.
Competence: Supporting fairness
Study the history of construction companies, do they have good reputation, are the buildings healthy buildings etc. Ask students to create a presentation of local or international company to show how they changed during the uears.
Competence: Promoting Nature
Explain to students how the construction industry gets the raw materials it needs, such as wood, stone, metals etc. 1. Give students the task of finding information about the raw materials from which building materials (e.g. concrete) are made. Explain how plank is made from logs. 2. Show students a video about sawing logs into planks. What building materials can be recycled?
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Competence: Promoting Nature
Give students the task of finding information about the raw materials from which building materials (e.g. concrete) are made. Explain how plank is made from logs.
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Competence: Promoting Nature
Dicussions about new ideas for green space planning like green walls and green roofs. You can find a guide for landscaping and biodiversity from the links.
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Embracing complexity in sustainability
Competence: Systems thinking
Explane the importance of life cycle analysis in the construction sector.
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Competence: Systems thinking
Encourage students to think outside the traditional methods, share ideas and search for good examples.
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Competence: Systems thinking
BEE VET Digital Toolkit with different topics including sustainable development and healthy living, and low-energy houses. The topics provide a theoretical background with interactive exercises, self-assessment quizzes and further information.
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Competence: Critical thinking
BEE VET Digital Toolkit with different topics including sustainable development and healthy living, and low-energy houses. The topics provide a theoretical background with interactive exercises, self-assessment quizzes and further information.
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Competence: Critical thinking
Introduce frameworks like SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and decision matrices to help students systematically analyze and compare options. First teach the building methods of different eras, also teach how to extend your thinking with swot analysis, divide the group into pairs to do a swot analysis of the pros and cons of building methods of different eras based on the lecture.
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Competence: Critical thinking
Present real construction scenarios where critical thinking was required to overcome challenges. Analyze the situation, discuss possible solutions, and evaluate the outcomes of different decisions. For example bark beetle are eating the spruces, there are no spruces left or it is bad quality
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Competence: Critical thinking
Assign readings related to construction methods, codes, regulations, and new technologies. Encourage students to critically analyze and question the content, identifying strengths and weaknesses. Find fake news from the construction field.
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Competence: Critical thinking
Have students keep reflective journals where they record their thoughts, questions, and insights about construction projects, materials, or techniques. This practice helps develop metacognition and self-awareness.
Competence: Critical thinking
Discuss ethical dilemmas that construction professionals might face. Encourage students to analyze situations from ethical standpoints, considering long-term consequences and societal impact. Here are some links for the case of Qatar world cup.
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Competence: Problem framing
Discussion about raw materials, fairness of the industry and challenges of climate change.
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Envisioning sustainable futures
Competence: Future literacy
Familiarity with emerging technologies like BIM, drones, and virtual reality is essential to function effectively in the modern construction environment. Ask students to look for examples on innovative solutions and methology.
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Competence: Future literacy
See the instructions on Sitra’s website. Divide the group into small groups and ask them to watch some of the warm-up videos on the website. Ask the students to do the exercises thinking about future scenarios for housing, construction, building materials. Leave plenty of time for discussion and wondering.
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Competence: Future literacy
Use simulation software to create scenarios where students can practice making decisions based on emerging trends and technologies.
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Competence: Future literacy
Cultivating a mindset of lifelong learning and staying curious about industry developments ensures that students remain current even after leaving the vocational college. Guide students to plan their future.
Competence: Future literacy
Encourage experimentation with unconventional ideas and solutions that may not have been traditionally considered.
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Competence: Future literacy
Assign projects that require students to research and present on current and projected industry trends such as sustainable construction practices, modular building, and smart technologies.
Competence: Future literacy
Organize visits to construction sites that are implementing building technologies. Allow students to see these technologies in action and interact with professionals using them.
Competence: Adaptability
Start by explaining what adaptability means in the construction industry. Highlight the rapid changes in technology, materials, regulations, and project requirements that students will encounter throughout their careers.
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Competence: Adaptability
Support students to read and learn difficult texts with important and interesting theme. Page 77 check list is an exellent discussion opener
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Competence: Adaptability
Present construction scenarios where unexpected challenges or changes occurred. Discuss how adaptability played a role in overcoming these challenges successfully.
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Competence: Adaptability
Engage students in open-ended discussions related to construction projects. Encourage them to express their opinions, consider different perspectives, and challenge each other’s ideas.
Competence: Exploratory thinking
Begin by explaining what exploratory thinking is and why it’s essential in the construction industry. Emphasize its role in generating innovative solutions and adapting to new technologies.
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Competence: Exploratory thinking
Invite guest speakers or find examples from www pages from the construction industry to share insights into emerging technologies, design trends, and innovative practices. Exposure to real-world examples can inspire exploratory thinking.
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Competence: Exploratory thinking
Encourage students to create prototypes of their ideas and test them in a controlled environment. This hands-on approach helps them refine their concepts through practical exploration.
Give students the task of building a miniature model of an agreed topic. In the model, students can experiment with different types of structures or different materials. You can also use 3D drawing software and printing to help them experiment. Mistakes are allowed.
Competence: Exploratory thinking
Organize field trips or exhibitions to construction sites, architectural studios, or innovation hubs. Experiencing different environments can spark new ideas and perspectives.
Acting for sustainability
Competence: Collective action
Have students work together to plan, design, and execute a construction project. This encourages them to experience the challenges and benefits of collective action firsthand. For example: Could the school build a common leisure space? The design, construction, finishing and use should be shared between students and groups. There are countless different roles to play! Perhaps the space could be given a name that everyone could vote on.
Competence: Collective action
Use construction simulation games or software to allow students to work together on virtual projects. These games can illustrate the complexities of teamwork and coordination. Try simulation games with your students.
Competence: Collective action
Construction projects can encounter conflicts, so teaching students how to navigate and resolve disagreements constructively is essential for maintaining a positive team environment. Also knowing the whistleblower concept is important.
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Competence: Individual initiative
Encourage students to initiate or participate in construction-related volunteer projects in the community.
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Competence: Individual initiative
Calculate the carbon footprint of a building project, a school or each individual.
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Competence: Political Agency
Political influence and lobbying is an important skill to learn during vocational training. Student councils, voting and youth elections are good practice for influencing society. Ask the student council to present their activities to your students.