33rd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 33) - Osaka and Kyoto, Japan - 2025

https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0186

Collaborative Online International Learning: a Catalyst for Advancing Lean Construction Education

Ehsan Asnaashari1 & Amrit Sagoo2

1Senior Lecturer, Construction Management Department, Chair, ADBE Digital & AI Working Group, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0001-5552-9428
2Head of Department, Construction Management Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK, [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0005-7619-3288

Abstract

This paper explores the implementation and impact of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) as a pedagogical approach to enhance Lean construction education. COIL facilitates collaboration between students from geographically diverse institutions through joint projects, promoting international engagement without the need for physical mobility. Two case studies are presented, involving Nottingham Trent University (UK) students collaborating with partner universities in India (2022) and South Africa (2023), to demonstrate how COIL projects were designed and executed to support the global application of Lean principles. Working in international teams, students applied Lean to identify and reduce various forms of waste on live construction sites. Their digital collaboration, captured through Miro boards, along with reflective reports, was analysed to evaluate the learning experience. Findings indicate that the structured COIL approach improved students’ understanding of Lean concepts and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while also strengthening key skills such as teamwork, resilience, and digital literacy. Despite challenges, including time zone differences, uneven levels of participation, and technological barriers, the projects highlight COIL’s potential to instil a sense of ownership in students' learning and support their personal and professional growth. This paper demonstrates how a do-it-yourself (DIY) learning environment can successfully foster international collaboration and promote Lean Construction education within a globally diverse academic community.

Keywords

Collaboration, pedagogy, sustainability, waste, virtual exchange.

Files


Full Text
 

Reference

Download: BibTeX | RIS Format

Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Asnaashari, E. & Sagoo, A.. (2025). Collaborative Online International Learning: a Catalyst for Advancing Lean Construction Education. In Seppänen, O., Koskela, L., & Murata , K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 33) (pp. 1516–1527). https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0186

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Asnaashari, E. & Sagoo, A.. (2025). Collaborative Online International Learning: a Catalyst for Advancing Lean Construction Education. IGLC33. https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0186

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

2015 © All Rights Reserved.