An online course and teacher resource for residential building codes and above code construction methods

Abstract

Community destruction and loss of life due to residential building code violations still occur too frequently and increasing code enforcement is often not possible due to lack of funds and resources. Teaching the International Residential Code (IRC) to college-level construction students is another way to encourage greater code compliance and enhance community resilience. In a national curriculum review of construction management, architecture, and civil engineering programs (2-year, 4-year, and graduate degrees, 950 in total), only seven percent provide courses with IRC related learning outcomes. A follow-up national survey to construction, architecture and civil engineering faculty suggests the barriers to teach codes are the lack of available resources and low cognitive student learning perceived in teaching about the IRC. In response to these findings an online course was developed. Students learn how codes will influence their professional careers, identifying the difference between prescriptive and performance based codes and communicating how codes relate to the performance of a structure. Student learning outcomes are created through multiple active learning methods. For example, house plans are distributed to students, and in a problem-based approach, students "red line" drawings to meet the IRC. In a case-based module, students identify solutions to grey-water systems that do not meet current local codes. Course modules were developed with an advisory committee including building code officials, architects, construction managers, disaster mitigation experts, and academic faculty. Advisory members anonymously submitted feedback for each module. Feedback was compiled, discussed and course content edited. This review-discuss-edit process was repeated until a final version was agreed upon with the advisory committee. The course and content is a free resource for educators. Over thirty modules, house plans and videos of industry professionals are embedded within. Modules can be delivered in a semester long course but can also stand-alone. Course link: canvas.instructure.com/courses/780681.