Browsing by Author "Witt, Emlyn"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    BIM for Construction Education: Initial Findings from a Literature Review
    (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2019) Olowa, Theophilus; Witt, Emlyn; Lill, Irene
    Purpose – BIM education for construction professionals has tended to lag industry developments. This investigation initiates doctoral research into the use of BIM for construction education. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of existing examples of BIM education, their characteristics, the challenges faced in their implementation and any clear trends to focus the doctoral research effort. Design/Methodology/Approach – A systematic search of peer-reviewed BIM education literature was carried out. From the articles captured, 51 specific cases of BIMeducation were identified and analysed. Findings – Most cases are from the USA with a more global spread from 2013. A tendency towards interdisciplinary collaboration was apparent though single discipline courses remain important. BIM software in education is dominated by Autodesk products. Most cases were found to be BIM-focused with few examples of BIM-enabled education. This was consistent with the most significant BIM education challenges that were found to relate to the skill levels of students, time and the availability of technical support. Research Limitations/Implications – This is an initial study. It is based on only 51 cases of BIM education, which were partially described in peer reviewed conference and journal papers available in international databases. Practical Implications – The investigation has shed some light on existing examples of BIM education and these are useful in designing BIM education initiatives as well as directing further research efforts. Originality/Value – The study offers an original perspective on global BIM education. It also represents the commencement of doctoral research.
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    CONCEPTUALISING BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING FOR CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION
    (VGTU Press, 2020) Olowa, Theophilus; Witt, Emlyn; Lill, Irene
    Digitalisation of the construction industry is both driving changes in construction education to meet emerging industry needs and providing opportunities for new delivery approaches. Universities are responding to these challenges in diverse ways including in their use of Building Information Modelling for construction education (BfCE). This research is aimed at understanding the existing approaches to BfCE. A systematic literature review of BfCE in universities was carried out which identified 305 relevant articles including 44 specific cases of BfCE. These were qualitatively analysed and a Straussian Theory Model (STM) was adopted to understand the different BfCE approaches reported in the literature, the contextual and intervening conditions which give rise to them and their consequences in order to develop a conceptual framework which sets out the relationships between these and the digitalisation of the construction industry. This study provides construction educators with a descriptive typology that depicts all possible BfCE approaches and which could assist them in determining suitable approaches and to conceptualise new approaches for teaching students to use Building Information Modelling (BIM) and also for leveraging BIM to enhance their teaching of other topics.
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    Defining a BIM-Enabled Learning Environment—An Adaptive Structuration Theory Perspective
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2022) Olowa, Theophilus; Witt, Emlyn; Morganti, Caterina; Teittinen, Toni; Lill, Irene
    Digitalization of the AEC-FM industry has resulted in the reassessment of knowledge, knowledge management, teaching and learning, workflows and networks, roles, and relevance. Consequently, new approaches to teaching and learning to meet the demands of new jobs and abilities, new channels of communication, and a new awareness are required. Building Information Modelling (BIM) offers opportunities to address some of the current challenges through BIM-enabled education and training. This research defines the requisite characteristics of a BIM-enabled Learning Environment (BLE)—a web-based platform that facilitates BIM-enabled education and training— in order to develop a prototype version of the BLE. Using a mixed-methods research design and an Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST) perspective for interpreting the findings, 33 features and 5 distinct intentions behind those features were identified. These findings are valuable in taking forward the development of the BLE as they suggest a BLE requires the integration of functions from three existing types of information technology application (virtual learning environments, virtual collaboration platforms, and BIM applications). This study will inform the design of a web-based BLE for enhanced AEC-FM education and training, and it also provides a starting point for researchers to apply AST to evaluate the use of a BLE in different educational and training contexts.
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    Evaluation of Immersive Project-Based Learning Experiences
    (Reykjavik University, 2022) Rüütmann, Tiia; Witt, Emlyn; Olowa, Theophilus; Puolitaival, Taija; Marco, Bragadin
    Digitalization is transforming the real estate and construction (REC) sector and a key feature of this transformation is Building Information Modelling (BIM) - the virtual representation of all building-related information. By enabling the creation of digital twins of real buildings, BIM generates opportunities to do many things in new and better ways including education and training. Specifically, BIM offers the possibility of data rich virtual environments in which project-based learning experiences can be designed. Researchers at Tallinn University of Technology, Tampere University and the University of Bologna are currently developing a prototype BIM-enabled Learning Environment (BLE) with the intention of providing more realistic, immersive and integrated learning experiences. In addition to the BLE platform itself, pilot learning modules are being created to demonstrate the potential for this approach and, to determine their effectiveness, evaluation tools are being designed. This research investigates existing, applicable evaluation models and derives an evaluation model and tools specifically adapted for the immersive project-based learning experiences provided through the BLE. A literature review was conducted to identify existing evaluation models. A comparative content analysis approach was employed to identify their specific use cases, implementation requirements, advantages and disadvantages for deployment within the BLE context. The BLE pilot learning modules were analysed in terms of their defining characteristics and the key features of evaluation models applicable to them were identified. The identified features were then integrated to derive a new evaluation model and a corresponding set of evaluation tools considering the contemporary principles of Engineering Pedagogy. The research results include: 1) Defining characteristics of the BLE pilot learning modules and the challenges these pose for evaluation. 2) Existing evaluation models and their applicability to the immersive project-based learning experiences of the BLE. 3) An outline of the evaluation model and appropriate evaluation tools for the BLE learning modules. An evaluation model together with supporting evaluation tools are proposed that will assist educators and trainers in evaluating the impact of their activities for effective engineering education. This research also serves as a guide for the development of future BLE learning modules and for evaluating their effectiveness.