Prevention through Design (PtD) educational elements in engineering, architectural and construction domain: a review

Despite increasing emphasis on Prevention through Design (PtD) education, the extent to which it should be integrated into tertiary curricula remains unclear. To address this, a scoping review of the literature related to PtD education in the construction domain was conducted. A total of 27 articles identified through the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases and the snowballing method, content analysis was adopted to identify the main PtD educational elements. A constructive learning approach was adopted to integrate five key principles: content, learning outcomes, learning environment, learning domain and pedagogical approach into PtD education. The findings were consolidated into best practices that align PtD educational elements with these learning principles. These best practices were then demonstrated through a case study in an engineering programme, showcasing the applicability of the proposed PtD educational elements. Future directions were proposed, including integrating PtD courses into curricula, aligning learning outcomes and domains and assessing the impact of emerging technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and serious gaming on PtD learning. These findings offer a valuable reference point for educational institutions aiming to implement practical, transformational changes in PtD curriculum design strategies, enhancing theoretical, practical and experiential learning for future graduates.