Abstract. All types of buildings will undergo decay and deterioration over a period of time. In the past few years, there have been numerous official reports in the mass media relating to building decay and failures throughout the country. Building decay and failures are becoming ordinary phenomena in the construction industry. This study is firstly intended to identify and differentiate the common building decay and failures faced by Malaysian educational buildings. Seven educational buildings in Kedah were selected as case studies. Inspections were conducted and the decay of the respective buildings was recorded. The persons in charge of the educational buildings were also interviewed and the results were used for this study as well.

Abstract. This paper focuses on the contribution factors of building defects in Malaysian school buildings. There are several building defects commonly found in Malaysia school buildings. In fact, building defects are becoming ordinary phenomena in the construction industry which results in negative impacts on schools, in the means of building performance, health and safety aspects and overall environment conditions as well as teaching and learning processes. Thus, a study is planned to identify the common building defects faced by school buildings in Kedah, Malaysia. Then, a thorough inspection is conducted and the respective defects are recorded with the aid of photographic. As the outcomes from the interview between researcher and person-in-charge from some schools, the main factors contributing to those building defects had been determined. Besides, appropriate mitigation solutions on the building defects have been offered, which are extremely essential in retaining a healthy and serviceable school building.

As part of a larger project determining best practices for establishing and maintaining effective, sustainable, collaborative relationships between academic and industry professionals, this review will outline the available materials and, conversely, the multiple gaps that exist regarding course content, methods of teaching, and practical experience relating to preparation for careers in engineering and engineering technology. Currently, there is no clear agreement on which principles and practices best enable industrial partners and academic institutions to establish and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships. In fact, there is no clear definition in the literature of what a mutually beneficial partnership entails, across the full range of educational, research, and professional development and service activities carried out within the engineering and technical community. The authors of this paper established informally that educators in both engineering and engineering technology are often challenged by this lack of research on sound recommendations regarding collaborative efforts. This paper is intended to be the start of a larger systemic literature review.

Dr. Lucietto has focused her research in engineering technology education and the understanding of engineering technology students. She teaches in an active learning style which engages and develops practical skills in the students. Currently she is exploring the performance and attributes of engineering technology students often focusing on women and underrepresented minorities, utilizing that knowledge to engage them in their studies.

Dr. Lucietto has focused her research in engineering technology education and the understanding of engineering technology students. She teaches in an active learning style which engages and develops practical skills in the students. Currently she is exploring the performance and attributes of engineering technology students and using that knowledge to engage them in their studies.