Taking construction education into a new age

Construction education is evolving, because the worlds of both construction and education are evolving.

In construction, new technology, tools and techniques are re-shaping how projects are designed, built and maintained. In education, laptops have become as common as spiral-bound notebooks while teachers leverage videos, online quizzes and other digital resources to teach their students. 

At the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), we have developed industry-standard training curricula for more than 25 years. For most of those 25 years, that curricula followed a successful formula: combining classic textbook learning and paper module exams with hands-on practice and performance testing.

But as construction and education evolve, so too must NCCER. In recent years, NCCER has made a major commitment to enhancing our products and services and modernizing them for a digital-first age. 

In 2021, the sixth edition of our top textbook, Core: Introduction to Basic Construction Skills was released in collaboration with our publishing partner Pearson. In addition to the standard updates to the content, this new edition introduced QR codes to our textbooks, directing students to digital resources to reinforce the material found in the book. In conjunction with the release of the printed book came a new Core eText and a fully re-imagined NCCERconnect online course with integrated augmented reality lessons, dozens of videos on performance tasks, construction math and employability skills, dynamic presentations to support classroom engagement, project-based learning assignments and more.

This summer, we released updates to some of our most popular titles. These include General Carpentry, HVACR, Welding and Plumbing. All updates will continue this trend of going digital and be released alongside enhanced assets and self-guided learning components. 

While the curricula and training are the central components to moving to a greater digital focus, NCCER has also expanded our digital offerings in several other areas:

Online Testing: Paper tests have been phased out and all NCCER module tests are conducted via our online Testing System. The Testing System enhances the rigor and security of these tests while reducing our carbon footprint and the amount of manual work for instructors.

Digital Badges: The NCCER wallet card is an iconic staple for NCCER’s credentialed trainees, but there are now additional ways to display industry-recognized credentials. In partnership with Credly, NCCER trainees are now able to earn and share digital badges for each NCCER module and craft level they complete right from their personal devices.

Training Videos: Working with partners and companies across the United States, we are continuing to expand our library of training videos based on NCCER Performance Profiles and curricula modules.

Learning Management System: The new NCCER Learning Management System will be used to host online, self-paced training for using NCCER systems, instructor certification and more. Many of these training courses were previously only available in-person.

Automated Remote Proctoring: NCCER now offers automated remote proctoring through Invigulus. Without the need to coordinate with an in-person or remote proctor, test-takers are able to conduct their exams at their own convenience while still ensuring the integrity of the results.

Construction training has long had a unique feel compared to education and career preparation in other fields. While nothing will ever replace the performance learning that comes through picking up a hammer or welding torch and practicing, it is critical that NCCER continuously adapt our knowledge-based components to meet the needs and expectations of modern education.