Information Systems Curriculum for Construction Management Education

In recent years, there has been an increase in the technical requirements for construction projects. In addition to building information modeling (BIM) being applied on many projects, several virtual design and construction (VDC) technologies such as virtual and augmented reality have started to gain attention on construction sites. Moreover, many research projects in the construction literature have been discussing the use of modular construction, robotics, and automation in construction. Based on these trends, it is crucial to equip students with the required knowledge in order to cultivate a more conscious and skilled labor force able to cope with the emerging changes in the industry. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of interviews conducted with industry professionals aiming at assessing the essential skills in emerging technologies in the construction industry. Based on these skills, two graduate construction information systems classes at the M. E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management at the University of Florida were structured and presented in this paper. The topics covered in these classes include advanced modeling and family editing of commercial and infrastructure projects, scripting and the use of game engines, robotics, and automation in construction. The paper explains the topics covered in the classes, the learning environment, as well as the educational approaches implemented in the classes. Through an experimental study, students reported a significant increase in their knowledge in the topics listed by the industry professionals during the interviews.