BIM-Hub, Educating Future Built Environment Professionals to Work in BIM Environment

Increasing international collaboration in the building industry is resulting in fast-growing demand for professionals that can work in virtual teams within online Building Information Modelling (BIM) environments. International digital collaboration heralds a new way of working on site, and it will inevitably redefine the future of construction education. Built environment students with BIM competencies will have a competitive advantage in the job market. But there is little understanding of how educators can adapt quickly enough to this emerging area.

The BIM-Hub initiative explores how educators can help students hone their BIM competencies and their ability to collaborate internationally in a real-time collaborative BIM environment. The project captured the experience and identified the skills required to collaborate across highly-integrated platforms. It also examined the impact of these skills on overall employability.

Guidance for tutors and lecturers on effective practice for international BIM education has already been issued as a result of this initiative. The findings and guidance are now being shared publicly, with the aim of encouraging a community of learning to develop.

Information can be found on the project website: http://bim-hub.lboro.ac.uk/

This project was the Premier Award Winner, Innovation in Education and Training Award, CIOB International Innovation and Research Award, 2014.

The Judges said, "The judging panel was impressed that the innovation had been driven on an individual basis. This was a tight cohort of colleagues spread across three universities who clearly found the motivation amongst themselves to implement this initiative. The innovation not only created cross-disciplinary learning for students in a digital environment, but also achieved the learning at an international level. The panel applauds Robby’s effort and enthusiasm in developing this innovative teaching and learning approach in a BIM environment.”