Students’ perceptions of BIM learning scenario in architectural education

Özet

The inclusion of BIM in architecture curricula, in addition to those in engineeringand construction, has gathered significant pace over recent years. Thepatterns of this inclusion vary significantly from country to country havingdifferent approaches, strategies, methods, and challenges associated with professionaland academic environment. In countries like Turkey, many architectureeducators still ask: ‘What is BIM and why do we need it?”. This paper presentsone part of a larger research aiming to develop different ‘BIM learning scenarios’for architecture schools which had not yet developed BIM tradition. The BIMlearning scenario represents a flexible structure organized within the agenda offour basic questions: why (objectives), what (contents), how (methods), and who(management). The broader research proposes a strategy for introducing BIM inarchitectural education. The strategy is defined by the means of an exchange ofexperience between the academic world and practice. It also prioritizes self-learningand student-centered approach which are one of the key requirements of 21stcentury curricula. The current paper demonstrates students’ perceptions of theproposed BIM learning scenario obtained through focus group study. We providethe framework used to plan the scenario, describe the scenario setting, presentstudents’ responses obtained through focus group, outline the lessons learned anddiscuss their implications for the future advancement of BIM in architecturaleducation.