Experiential learning in the context of BIM

Andrzej Szymon Borkowski; Andrzej Szymon Borkowski

doi:10.3934/steme.2023012

STEM Education

2023, Volume 3, Issue 3: 190-204. doi: 10.3934/steme.2023012

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Perspective

Experiential learning in the context of BIM

Andrzej Szymon Borkowski ^,

Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography, Warsaw University of Technology, Politechniki Square 1, Warsaw, Mazovia 00-661, Poland

Received: 10 July 2023 Revised: 28 August 2023 Accepted: 29 August 2023 Published: 05 September 2023

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.

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.
- engineering education,
- BIM,
- building information modeling,
- students,
- teaching content,
- experience
Citation: Andrzej Szymon Borkowski. Experiential learning in the context of BIM[J]. STEM Education, 2023, 3(3): 190-204. doi: 10.3934/steme.2023012

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Abstract

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.

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.

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Author's biography Dr. Andrzej Szymon Borkowski is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography, Warsaw University of Technology. He teaches BIM in a number of courses and at various educational levels. He is enthusiastic about conducting didactics according to the theory of experiential learning. He conducts extensive academic research on BIM

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