Integration of BIM in construction management education: an overview of Pakistani Engineering universities

Didactical methods are changing in construction education in contemporary times. The advent of information technology (IT) such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and modern tools such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Laser Scanners are influencing construction education. It is critical for the universities to introduce new IT tools in the construction management (CM) education, and BIM is a promising tool for this purpose. Currently, several universities worldwide offer BIM courses in CM programs, while many others are under the process of integrating BIM into their curricula. As a matter of fact, the most of the universities lack realization of the importance of BIM application, BIM teaching strategy, and plans to overcome the barriers to integration of BIM into CM curriculum. This study analyzed the current state of BIM education in the CM program in universities of Pakistan and developed countries offering architectural, engineering, and construction education. A detailed literature review and questionnaire survey was performed for this purpose. The research presented the status of BIM education in Pakistani universities and formulated a framework that will provide guidelines for those universities which are not currently implementing BIM or just started developing BIM curriculum. As a result, universities will be able to produce graduates who are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills of the modern tools such as BIM before they enter into their professional career. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.