Collaborative Authoring for On-Line Construction Curricula

This work is part of a regional initiative to build training and employment services into a career pathways system for the green building industry sector, with a particular focus on construction and retrofitting towards more energy-efficient buildings, and installation of alternative energy systems. It addressed the challenges of collecting and disseminating relevant information for innovative technologies and sustainability in a format that supports systems integration. The research team developed a collaborative content authoring and dissemination portal as part of an U.S. Department of Labor Energy Training Partnership grant with participation from Virginia Tech, regional community colleges, certification training institutions, and other industry stakeholders. The paper discusses the process of collaborative content collection and authorship, the potential of open-source software for content management, the development and implementation of envisioned concepts into a single online portal, and the feedback processes through multiple channels from various program participants. While comparing the resulting software implementation with the initial project goals, this paper provides recommendations on how to sustain an online project and the currentness of its content. Further work will examine the adaptability of the educational collaboration portal to address specific pedagogical formats, language barriers, and interoperability with recognized software formats.