Students' perceptions of BIM learning scenario in architectural education

Abstract

The inclusion of BIM in architecture curricula, in addition to those in engineering and construction, has gathered significant pace over recent years. The patterns of this inclusion vary significantly from country to country having different approaches, strategies, methods, and challenges associated with professional and academic environment. In countries like Turkey, many architecture educators still ask: ‘What is BIM and why do we need it?'. This paper presents one part of a larger research aiming to develop different ‘BIM learning scenarios' for architecture schools which had not yet developed BIM tradition. The BIM learning scenario represents a flexible structure organized within the agenda of four basic questions: why (objectives), what (contents), how (methods), and who (management). The broader research proposes a strategy for introducing BIM in architectural education. The strategy is defined by the means of an exchange of experience between the academic world and practice. It also prioritizes self-learning and student-centered approach which are one of the key requirements of 21st century curricula. The current paper demonstrates students' perceptions of the proposed BIM learning scenario obtained through focus group study. We provide the framework used to plan the scenario, describe the scenario setting, present students' responses obtained through focus group, outline the lessons learned and discuss their implications for the future advancement of BIM in architectural education.