Transforming Engineering Education: Innovative Computer-Mediated Learning Technologies

This chapter introduce advances in study and theories of cognitive functions for coordinating activities in the construction project environment. The chapter proposes a new theoretical construct, spatial-temporal cognitive ability (STCA), as the core of a new fundamental research framework for the construction engineering and management (CEM) discipline, upon which multiple future studies can be built. The proposed STCA framework models theory propositions and constructs to comprehensively describe, integrate, and delimit the ability of coupling representation to situations and contexts. The STCA facilitates analysis of individuals’ higher-order cognitive capabilities. Reasoning, primitive relationships, and information and knowledge blocks are critical constructs in the STCA framework’s cognitive-processing chain. To provide validity, the chapter discusses an analysis of the degree of inferences between STCA constructs and CEM activities.

This chapter presents a case for teaching computing fundamentals in two ways: first, to improve use of computers for complex engineering applications, and second, to support and enhance computer-mediated learning. Challenges include presenting customized course material to students with diverse backgrounds, interests, and intellectual abilities; supporting appropriate pedagogical methods such as project-based and experiential learning; and convincing students to appreciate the utility of generic knowledge. The following topics cover fundamental computer science concepts that are relevant to civil engineers: representing information, processing information (reasoning), and transmitting information (communication). Therefore, engineers should know data representation methods, reasoning strategies, and communication technologies. A course on the fundamentals of computer-aided engineering might start by examining the characteristics of engineering tasks. This helps students to understand the relevance of computer science concepts and fundamental logic to engineering.

This chapter provides an overview of building information modeling (BIM) education in academia, from its origins to the present day, and addresses challenges involved in adopting innovative BIM teaching strategies. The objective is to provide a valuable repository of information and a more complete understanding of past experience, key issues, and successes in introducing BIM into the engineering curriculum. The chapter also examines the theories underlying BIM teaching and learning methodologies identified by textual analysis and explains the results of this research. BIM teaching and learning methodologies can be based on problems, cases, and/or projects. All these methods are suitable for developing BIM projects with student teams. Finally, the chapter provides some specific recommendations for planning a BIM curriculum.

This chapter proposes a new construction planning framework that integrates design, material, quantity, method, crew, productivity, rate, time, and cost for detailed construction planning. This framework can assist students in understanding construction projects from product-centric and process-centric perspectives and in learning how to integrate product and process to fulfill detailed construction planning needs. The proposed framework’s effectiveness in construction management education has been validated through experiments in teaching a construction planning course at the University of Alberta. The proposed construction planning framework is intended for immediate application in construction planning by training new civil engineers and guiding practicing estimators to take advantage of building information modeling (BIM) models. Most BIM models provide 3D representation of a centralized database containing design-related information of a facility. Quantity takeoff (QTO) quantities of design elements are measured based on the design drawings or 3D models.

This chapter describes the evolution and integration of the building information modeling (BIM) curriculum. Six student project case studies from the 2015 AEC Global Teamwork PBL course offered at Stanford in collaboration with universities worldwide illustrate technical-tactical-strategic BIM mindset transformations and BIM coordination in support of model-based decision making. The technical-tactical-strategic BIM mindset framework provides readers with new insights into the BIM curriculum and the AEC Global Teamwork course’s impact on student transformations, learning experiences, and performance. The BIM mindset implementations indicate the activities and BIM mindset levels that are implemented in the curriculum and applied by STEM learners. The chapter concludes with recommendations and guidelines in support of BIM curriculum development and implementation that are grounded in project-based learning principles to foster continual improvement in civil engineering STEM education.

This chapter describes innovative pedagogical tools that use augmented reality (AR) technology to improve civil engineering instruction. AR supports discovery-based learning—a learning technique in which students control their own learning process, acquire information, and use that information to experience scenarios that may not be feasible to construct in reality given the time and space constraints of a typical engineering project. The two major categories of AR visualization technologies are marker-less and marker-based. The chapter describes various learning applications spanning multiple civil engineering domains to showcase the tools’ capabilities. It also illustrates applications of the first-generation AR book (GEN-1) and ARvita within the context of construction field operations. Finally, the chapter explains the applicability of these and similar approaches to enhance sustainability and building energy performance education.

This chapter describes an immersive mixed-media, mixed-reality environment (M3R) that integrates an interactive physical space (iRoom) with a 3D immersive (3Di) virtual world collaboration space to support global teamwork. M3R was deployed in the “Architecture Engineering, Construction (AEC) Global Teamwork” education testbed. The AEC Global Teamwork course is based on a project-based learning (PBL) methodology that focuses on problem-based, project-organized activities that produce a product for a client and agile processes that assemble participants from multiple disciplines. The course engages geographically distributed faculty, practitioners, and students from different disciplines. This PBL education model focuses on the global student teams. The chapter further discusses an integrated research and education approach that aims to achieve a broader understanding of complex PBL interactions and formalize transformative impacts of the M3R environment on global teamwork.

This chapter addresses new technologies for long-distance collaboration, focusing on urban design projects and architectural projects. Long-distance collaboration can be seen as a method for preparing architects for their future professional lives, as it helps them learn communication skills and listening skills. The chapter also explores innovative methods and tools and new ways of transforming architectural education through computer-mediated learning technologies. The chapter proposes the Collaborative Design Studio SLO-PR as a method for long-distance discussions on architecture to enhance communication and collaboration skills between architects and to explore how location and culture influence design. The purpose of this course was to introduce students to collaboration via tools allowing remote work. Students were expected to develop skills such as team work and team collaboration.

This chapter describes the CyberGRID (Cyber-Enabled Global Research Infrastructure for Design), a virtual workspace that supports geographically distributed architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) work coordination and execution. The CyberGRID facilitates learning, communication, and collaboration toward integrated design and delivery of AEC projects in a virtual environment and supports iterative engineering and design processes. For data collection and research purposes, the CyberGRID server can automatically capture text, voice, and video recording data whenever clients use the server. The CyberGRID is developed using the Unity3D platform. Through Unity3D, industry-standard building information modeling (BIM) models can be imported into the CyberGRID. Virtual team members can then interact with those models through their avatars, i.e., their human representations in the virtual space. The chapter illustrates a model for this process of interaction with and collaboration on BIM model development.