Building Information Modeling Education Research Articles

Bridging the gap: assessing the person-organization fit between BIM education and industry expectations in Australia

PurposeA lack of suitably qualified Building Information Modelling (BIM) professionals is understood to be a major barrier towards higher uptakes of BIM in the Australian construction industry. In response, Australian universities have tried to integrate the teaching of BIM into construction-related curricula, but with limited success. The acknowledged impediment is the lingering mismatch between what universities offer and what industry actually needs. However, the exact nature of that mismatch has yet to be identified. This study addresses that knowledge gap. It assesses both the current status of BIM competencies among university graduates and explores how BIM education at Australian universities may be improved to deliver BIM work readiness, as required by the industry.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employed a qualitative research approach, utilizing 17 semi-structured interviews with experts in the Australian BIM industry. The Person-Organization (PO) fit theory, which emphasizes the congruence between individual and organizational characteristics, was utilized as a theoretical framework to examine the compatibility between “demand” and “ability” perspectives. The resulting data were analysed using this theoretical framework to gain insights into the PO fit perspectives in relation to BIM industry practices.FindingsFindings reveal that graduates are generally competent regarding the use of BIM software. However, employers require much more than software skills, and expect recruits to have the capability to implement BIM as a process according to information management standards. Specifically, graduates are significantly deficient in matters of BIM protocols, collaboration and coordination, information workflows as well as completion and handover procedures.Originality/valueThis study is the first of its kind that bridges the gap between industry expectations and university education, in the Australian context, moving beyond the common discourse in education literature, which is exclusively focused on assessing students’ perceptions about BIM.

Scenarios of Building Information Modelling-Based Design Education in Architecture Schools

Due to the rapid development of computer technologies and trends in digital design, including building information modeling (BIM) and its diffusion into architectural design practice, it was necessary to introduce BIM into architectural curricula in order to prepare students for practice. This article therefore aims to identify scenarios for teaching BIM to architecture students worldwide. To achieve this objective, a thematic analysis of BIM teaching experiences in several selected academic institutions was conducted. The data studied included published articles and official university websites dealing with BIM teaching. A theoretical framework for BIM education was determined, comprising two aspects: pedagogical methods for BIM education and specifications for BIM courses in architecture programs. The document identified several scenarios for teaching BIM in multidisciplinary or architecture-specific courses. BIM teaching can be offered as part of a single course integrated with other courses, or as a separate course. It may be taught as part of related or unrelated courses. Related courses can be organized in parallel with an academic semester, or over several semesters. In addition, there are different types of input to project-based BIM teaching, such as a new design project, the results of a previous design course or an actual project. These scenarios can serve as a reference for universities wishing to integrate BIM into their programs.

A Survey Dataset Evaluating Perceptions of Civil Engineering Students about Building Information Modelling (BIM)

The implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technologies has become increasingly central in the design, construction and maintenance of both civil structures and infrastructures. As more and more software houses develop new BIM software solutions and a wide range of private and public stakeholders employ them, several educational institutes across the globe strive to expand their teaching portfolio to encompass learning and teaching of BIM. This dataset deals with the perceptions expressed by all the civil engineering undergraduate students who attended an academic course specifically about BIM at University of Stavanger (UiS), Norway, during the second semester 2022. The survey was divided into five parts and collected information regarding as many overarching aspects: socio-demographic data, perceptions about BIM before and after course attendance, satisfaction about the academic course and the way it was conducted. Considering the very moderate sample size (28 students) and potential biases due to the specific context of the University of Stavanger, the dataset can provide a useful insight into teaching approaches and future curriculum development, rather than indicating major and generalized trends in BIM education. As the questionnaire responses shed light on the feedbacks and perceptions expressed by university students dealing with BIM for their first time, the formed dataset can offer a straightforward appreciation of students’ cognitive behaviour in BIM education.

EXPLORING THE IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES OF ADOPTING BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM) IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

Nigeria's construction industry is facing significant challenges such as low productivity, high costs, and poor quality of buildings, and adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) can address these issues, but its adoption has been very slow in Nigeria. This paper aimed at investigating the level of awareness and usage of BIM, factors affecting the adoption, socio-economic benefits of its adoption and barriers and challenges affecting the adoption of BIM in Abuja, Nigeria. 363 structured questionnaires were administered on civil, mechanical & electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, architects and builders in Abuja, out of which 249 valid responses were received and the data obtained was carefully analyzed using descriptive analysis, relative importance index, and mean item score. While 87.95% of the respondents claim that they have heard the BIM concept before, only 19.27% rate their usage and knowledge of BIM as high or very high, this shows that most of the respondents currently do not use BIM in their day-to-day activities. The study shows that BIM education, affordability, ability to gain competitive edge, vision from management and ease of use as some of the most important factors affecting the adoption of BIM in Nigeria. It also highlighted the improvement of visualization & design review, reduction in risk level, improvement of quality, productivity, client satisfaction and project documentation as the most important benefits derivable from the use of BIM. The paper also shows that high cost of training, lack of government support, lack of education, information, investment, ICT infrastructure, power supply and demand from clients as the most important challenges hindering its adoption in Nigeria. The Nigerian construction industry may realize the benefits of BIM in terms of improved project outcomes, increased productivity, and increased efficiency by overcoming these barriers and encouraging a collaborative approach. Key suggestions for enhancing BIM adoption in Nigeria were made in this paper, including but not limited to incorporating BIM into curricula for the built environment, providing professionals with awareness programs and training and establishment of national BIM standards by the government.

Experiential learning in the context of BIM

<abstract> <p>BIM (Building Information Modeling) is conceived and understood differently depending on the profession and industry. As a technology, process or methodology, it is becoming an everyday part of the work of many engineers who deal with space. Hundreds of thousands of current and future representatives of the broadly defined construction industry (AECOO - Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Owner Operator), which accounts for about 1/10 of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of almost every country (including Poland), are educated in the formal education process in full-time, part-time, postgraduate or doctoral programs. BIM-related knowledge is imparted in various fields of study. Many publications mention the topic of BIM in education. However, they focus their attention on what to teach. This is undoubtedly very important, yet it is often forgotten how important it is to convey this knowledge.</p> <p>I conducted an in-depth literature review of the content of teaching BIM theory and practice and the ways in which they are taught. My aim was to synthesize the latest trends in BIM didactics, present the latest methods and techniques for experiential learning and propose a conceptual framework for BIM education. The good practices presented in the paper can be used by a wide spectrum of teachers: university teachers, trainers or BIM managers. The previous form of monologue lectures must be abandoned in favor of interactive lectures that formulate problems. Labs or projects, on the other hand, should become a place for problem-solving and transcending the limitations posed by the maturity of BIM to date. The presenter should create a friendly learning space which, combined with skillful facilitation, will lead to creative concept generation, discovery or breaking through existing dogmas.</p> </abstract>

Full integration of building information modelling education in civil engineering curricula: a proposal

ABSTRACT Building Information Modelling (BIM) has changed the way many civil engineers organise and execute their job in recent years. Many universities around the world have been adapting their curricula to include BIM education. However, this adaptation has been incomplete, occurring only in a small number of subjects. To fill this gap, this paper presents a proposal for a full integration of BIM education into civil engineering curricula. Based on a literature review on BIM outcomes and their supporting knowledge, learning activities, BIM software, types of assessment, and civil engineering curricula, it was possible to define an alignment blueprint for all BIM-related subjects. It was concluded that (i) nearly 62% of civil engineering curricula is BIM-related; (ii) the main BIM outcomes are mostly common in all universities; (iii) activities such as problem-based learning, interdisciplinary projects, and case studies are recommended; and (iv) for a successful application, an implementation plan is required, including monitoring and improvements.

Policies to Revitalize University Education for Nurturing New BIM Manpower in the Construction Industry

Purpose: This research aims to vitalize the education on building information modeling (BIM) by examining its current status, analyzing and comparing the BIM education level, and suggesting ways to improve the university curriculum for nurturing new BIM manpower in the construction business. Method: Institutions that are conducting BIM education at home and abroad were investigated. This study examined the curricula of domestic BIM educational institutions, classified them by level of development (LOD), investigated foreign BIM education cases, and analyzed the level of BIM education in Korean universities comparing it to that in overseas universities. Based on this, a plan was derived to improve the curriculum and raise the level of BIM education. Result: As part of the 4th industrial revolution, smart construction technology has been introduced worldwide, and requests for the widespread use and commercialization of BIM technology are increasing, but most existing construction engineers have not learned this technology, Under the current education concept, existing technicians are educated at training institutes for construction technicians, but the conducted education is far from the requirements of the 4th industrial revolution. It was found that universities that provide basic professional skills cannot teach professional knowledge about smart construction technology in preparation for the 4th industrial revolution, including BIM and virtual reality (VR).

Progress on Building Information Modeling Education and Talent Acquisition

ABSTRACT Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become the norm in most of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) companies, yet the lack of qualified BIM talent is impeding its adoption. This study revisited two previous research projects conducted in 2013 to provide an update on the changes in BIM educational strategies, and work practices which accompanied the global rise in BIM implementation over the years, and to answer the research questions: 1) how does higher education prepare students for BIM-related workplace competency, and 2) what did companies do differently in recruiting and staffing to respond to clients’ growing demands on BIM services. A survey questionnaire consolidating questions from the two studies was administered to solicit inputs from practitioners and educators. The results indicated the continued growth of BIM integration in college curricula and implementation in AEC companies. Different trends and patterns in BIM education and recruiting practices since 2013 were discussed. This study demonstrated the increased collaboration between academia and industry and improved professional BIM training and college BIM education. This study will help colleges determine the educational objectives to develop BIM talent and encourage companies to rethink their BIM talent acquisition and recruiting strategies.

Incorporating BIM into the upper-division curriculum of construction engineering and management

ABSTRACT This pedagogical study aimed to demonstrate an updated Building Information Modelling (BIM) educational activity in CEM (i.e., construction engineering and management) students’ final semester project. It investigated students’ perceptions of BIM and the project. Student feedback provided insights for linking education to practice, for example, what caused differences between manual estimates and BIM-generated quantity take-off. Four different project deliverable options demonstrated how educational theories could be embedded in BIM education. The novelty of this study lies in two aspects: firstly, this pedagogical research views the CEM education at the curriculum level by linking earlier years’ core CEM courses into the final project work; secondly, by designing four different options of BIM-related deliverables, subgroup analyses test how different factors, such as teamwork verse individual work, and BIM application level, could affect students’ learning outcomes. The current study also led to more future explorations in research-informed teaching in the CEM curriculum.

BIM as a Learning Tool in Design Studio

Building Information Modelling (BIM) can be considered as a design thinking tool in architecture besides its technical aspects. Many of the companies and countries commonly prefer using BIM in projects. The development of BIM in the AEC industry points out its adoption in education. BIM in architectural design education has to be searched for the current state. This research investigates the determination of benefits and awareness of BIM in design courses and architectural education. The effects of associating BIM education with the design studio are observed through a case study. The development of design processes by using BIM tools is observed. The study helps to investigate the use and adoption of BIM in design education.

Building Information Modelling Industry Centre of Excellence (BIM ICoE) for Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA (KKTM), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA)

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a recent digital technology replacing traditional methods that assist the revolution of the construction industry into a digitised model full of information and an integrated computerised framework. The lack of BIM tertiary education and training in Malaysia leads to the need in developing BIM syllabus and training module for the establishment of BIM education knowledge and capabilities. Therefore, the BIM Industry Centre of Excellence (ICoE) for Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) (KKTM) places an endeavour to be established as the first BIM in Pasir Mas Kelantan. The aim of this paper is to examine the critical success factors (CSFs) of the development and implementation of the BIM ICoE for KKTM. This review paper employed scoping from the other researchers of BIM to the ICoE. The result reveals that the industry must introduce the BIM as soon as possible to encourage rapid improvement in the BIM adoption. Besides that, this BIM ICoE will be beneficial to industry players by enhancing more collaborations with MARA, which is eventually supporting the MARA Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) strategic planning.

Root factors limiting BIM implementation in developing countries: sampling the Turkish AEC industry

PurposeDespite several advantages of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology, BIM has not been adopted and implemented extensively in developing countries. Consequently BIM remains at a beginner level in developing countries. To increase the level of BIM implementation, first, knowing the root factors that resist BIM implementation is necessary to know. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify the factors that limit BIM implementation in developing countries, specifically in the Turkish Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was designed with 46 influencing causes (ICs) identified through a systematic literature review. In total, 141 survey results were returned from architects and engineers, and reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted. Furthermore, a structural equation model (SEM) was developed to identify the root factors of BIM implementation.FindingsEight root factors affecting the prevalent use of BIM technology in the Turkish construction industry were determined and grouped into three categories based on BIM implementation level. Problems with the BIM transition process and a lack of management support are the most influential root factors limiting BIM implementation. Lack of incentives, lack of BIM education, bias regarding BIM technology and BIM-based software problems form the second group of root factors that have a significant effect. Awareness and lack of communication amongst stakeholders were identified as root factors that had a moderate effect.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the knowledge body by revealing eight root factors limiting BIM implementation in the Turkish AEC industry which can be generalised to most developing countries. Therefore, the outcomes of this study may be used as a practical reference for future research aimed at improving BIM adoption in developing countries through governmental, educational, and managerial solutions.Originality/valueSeveral studies have identified the challenges and barriers of BIM implementation in the construction industry using qualitative and quantitative analyses and projected the current state. Unlike previous studies, this study comprehensively and quantitatively determined the root factors that constrain the use of BIM in Turkey using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling to present a structural model.

Bridging the gap between building information modelling education and practice: a competency-based education perspective

This study reports a case study that investigates the gap between BIM tertiary education and the building industry’s needs in New Zealand (NZ). In specific, it aims to (1) identify the industry’s requirements on BIM competencies, (2) examine the status quo of BIM tertiary education in NZ, and (3) identify and analyse the gaps between current BIM education and the industry’s needs. Data were collected through BIM job advertisement to identify the industry’s requirements of BIM competencies and top BIM uses. Data of thirty-three courses were also collected from nine tertiary institutions. Results indicated that there were discrepancies between the type and level (i.e. cognitive levels) of BIM competencies. It was indicated that missing links existed in almost all BIM uses that were taught, except 4D modelling. A large proportion of learning outcomes were focused on ‘understanding’ for several BIM uses, while NZ BIM Handbook requires higher levels of application and evaluation. To bridge the gaps, core competence sets should be determined by disciplines. BIM competencies can also be classified based on BIM uses, BIM processes and phases, and project roles. This paper proposed a conceptual framework, which suggests the way ahead towards future competency-based BIM education.

Submitting BIM to the Educational Plan for the Faculty of Architecture According to NARS and ARS Standards.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has imposed itself as a powerful engineering and technological tool over time. It's even become mandatory in some countries (UK) and is gradually gaining more and more awareness worldwide. Although that, BIM education is still a new concept even in some countries that are already implementing it in their various engineering and construction projects. This research aims to conclude with an educational plan and curricula for the faculty of architecture that contains BIM as the core of it. The methodology used in this research is the online-structured questionnaire, distributed to students and staff of the faculty of architecture at Al-Baath University which is the case study of this research. Architecture faculty undergraduates and graduates with different degrees were surveyed by an online-structured questionnaire, and the results of the questionnaire were gathered and analyzed using google forms. This study concludes with the proposed modified plan and curricula for the previously mentioned faculty in the light of the theoretical study, questionnaire results, and similar experiences around the world. This new plan is expected to prepare a new generation of architects who are High-tech qualified and fully aware of BIM and its general ideas, which makes it easier for these architects to emerge within the job market and fulfill AEC firms' requirements of course this would also help to promote the university's reputation and help to spread BIM education among other local universities and also to other engineering competencies.

BIM Education in Higher Learning Institutions: A Scientometric Review and the Malaysia Perspective

Over the last decade, digital applications and Building Information Modelling (BIM) have been introduced in the construction industry to realize a smart construction ecosystem. However, the construction industry has not completely accepted BIM as a standard, and the concept of using BIM applications in universities has not been thoroughly researched. This paper addresses the first scientometric study of BIM education in universities, identifying the state of BIM education practices, skillsets, and the level of BIM education in universities. The paper used scientometric analysis and the VOSviewer mapping technique to assess the most impactful publication sources with the most important impact on BIM education by searching “BIM Education” and using 250 bibliographic data extracted from the Scopus database from 2011-2020 to identify the existing research gaps and research direction. Second, a structured questionnaire was distributed to 343 Year 2 and Year 3 students from two public and two private Malaysian universities that use BIM in their learning. Descriptive data analysis using cross-tabulation in SPSS and relative importance index (RII) were used to analyze the data. The paper revealed two stages of BIM education research; and identified research gaps in the fields of BIM education, architectural education, e-learning, curriculum and information management. The paper also revealed Revit, Cost X and the Glodon Cubicost software as the most used applications, while the common skillsets are design authoring, modelling, and cost estimation. However, both public and private university students mainly design 3D models at BIM Stage 1. The study recommends that institutions and other stakeholders provide continuous BIM training, purchase BIM software, and integrate BIM into the curriculum of Built Environment higher learning institutions for the next generation to be the generation that uses virtual collaborative platforms

Facilitators and Barriers in Applying Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Construction Industry

The authors provide a holistic perspective to enhance BIM working environment for more efficient smart construction settlements. An in-depth survey with 40 questionnaires was distributed to 100 professionals in construction, design, engineering, government. Although 45% of the respondents have received a certain form of BIM education, more than 94% of the respondents have answered that there should be a formal BIM education. Both design and construction experts have reported that the biggest advantage of using BIM is in its error checking ability. It can reduce design errors and increase construction ability. More than 79% of the respondents agreed upon a proper compensation for BIM implementation. The majority of opinions have revealed that there should be an increase in construction and design fees. There are a number issues for a successful BIM application: (1) guidelines and details for BIM work and delivery; (2) more standardized BIM education; and (3) a proper compensation system for BIM work. The results show that BIM professionals are ready to adopt the consequences of using BIM, but administrative and institutional preparations are not available beforehand. There should be a higher level of regulatory concern and provision of administrative solutions for successful BIM applications.

Introducing BIM in Curricular Programs of Civil Engineering

Building Information Modelling (BIM) enables the Civil engineers professional to accomplish the digital requiremnts and also the integration and collaboration on the elaboration of projects and maintenance of buildings. BIM methodology is currently the main subject of investigation and application in the construction industry and the education have been exploring the introduction of this issue in curricular programs. The students of civil engineering and architecture, as future professionals, must updated their skills with the most recent innovative technology and knowledge. Several academies better classified within the architecture and engineer sector, were selected and its curricular programs were analyzed: the didactic strategies of inserting BIM teachings are similar in the main concept and practice, but depending of the expertize of the school, the aspects related to architecture, structures, construction or planning are deeper taught; the level cycles of introduction BIM (bachelor, master or postgraduate), the professional courses offered to architects and engineeres and the main subjects were discussed. The principal aim of the curricular research is the characterization of BIM education in distinct academies. A resume of actions and organization of topics that promotes an adequate updating of the students skills was achived, helping BIM educators in their activity.

Remote Teaching of Building Information Modeling During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study

This article reports on a Building information modeling (BIM) distance learning experience in a pandemic context. Based on a description of the experience and a survey completed by the learners at the end of the course, the article presents and discusses various aspects of the training, including the overall satisfaction of the learners, their evaluation of the technical aspects and the practical work, as well as the proposals made to improve the course. The analysis shows that some elements of the teaching functioned well, while others were rated as being less satisfactory by the students. More specifically, the learners highlighted the need to find ways and means to improve the level of interaction, which is reduced by online education. The use of video clips as a support for practical work was recognized as being effective, but it seems useful also to resort to the use of collaborative platforms dedicated to the construction industry. A critical aspect is the remote access to computer labs with computers where the taught software is installed, as not all of the learners will always have the option of having it on their personal computers. Although the results of the experiment are difficult to generalize due to its particular context, they identify interesting avenues for improvement while paving the way to unique opportunities for the use of active pedagogy principles in BIM education.

Collaborative multidisciplinary learning: Quantity surveying students’ perspectives

The construction industry is highly fragmented and is known for its adversarial culture, culminating in poor quality projects not completed on time or within budget. The aim of this study is thus to guide the design of quantity surveying (QS) programme curricula in order to help students develop the requisite knowledge and skills to work more collaboratively in their multidisciplinary future workplaces. A qualitative approach was considered appropriate as the authors were concerned with gathering an initial understanding of what students think of multidisciplinary learning. The data collection method used was a questionnaire developed by the Behaviours4Collaboration (B4C) team. Knowledge gaps were still found across all the key areas in which a future QS practitioner needs to be collaborative (either as a Project Contributor or as a Project Leader), despite the need for change instigated by the multidisciplinary revolution in building information modelling (BIM) education. The study concludes that universities will need to be selective in teaching, and innovative in reorienting, QS education so that a collaborative BIM education can be effected in stages, increasing in complexity as the students’ technical knowledge grows. This will help students to build the competencies needed to make them future leaders. It will also support programme currency and delivery.

Incorporating BIM in the Final Semester Undergraduate Project of Construction Management — A Case Study in Fuzhou University

This pedagogical study presents building information modeling (BIM) education in the final semester construction management (CM) program. The case study conducted in Fuzhou University extends BIM education from a single BIM course in earlier undergraduate years to the senior year’s final semester project, which was designed to enable BIM utilization in multiple construction tasks (e.g., 3D site planning). This study consists of two major parts. The first part starts with the newly designed course of the final semester project of CM students. Students’ final semester project work is demonstrated depending on their selected deliverable type, which includes full BIM application group work, two partial BIM application types (i.e., construction planning/scheduling, and take-off estimate), and a research dissertation. The second part starts from the research hypothesis of whether the different deliverable type selected by students would affect their perceptions towards the final project and their professional career. Based on a follow-up questionnaire survey to the whole CM student sample aiming to test the hypotheses with statistical analyses (e.g., analysis of variance and the post-hoc analysis), it was indicated that all the four different deliverable types (i.e., subgroups) could lead to consistent perceptions of the final semester project towards their career development. However, subgroup differences were found. For example, students from the subgroup of full BIM application perceived that they had the highest level of hands-on skill enhancement throughout the project, possibly due to the fact that they linked BIM software tools to virtual reality (VR) hardware. Suggestions were provided to update the future BIM pedagogy in the final semester project, such as proper guide of CM students to opt their project deliverable type depending on their career interests, motivations in BIM utilization, and skill development needs. This current study provides insights in BIM education in terms that: 1) BIM education could be enhanced from a single course level to the senior year project in the CM program level; 2) different options offered in the final stage project within the CM curriculum might affect students’ perceptions towards BIM or their career development; and 3) the experience learned from this case study could be shared in the global community of construction education to update the curriculum incorporating information and communication technologies (e.g., BIM and VR). Future educational work in BIM could continue adopting existing educational theories (e.g., Bloom’s Taxonomy) by addressing the various levels of student learning, and viewing BIM in the bigger picture of digital construction.