BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING: A NEW EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY FOR CONSTRUCTION STUDENTS?

The construction industry is greatly influenced by the design technologies available. In the last decades, drafting machines have been replaced by personal computer with CAD (Computer Aided Design) software changing the way to face the drawing phase in design offices and construction schools. Therefore, apart from the economic problems in buying hardware and software, the introduction of CAD in the school environment has not been so difficult. However, nowadays the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry is moving towards the use of BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology. In this case the change is harder because learning another software is not enough, but it is necessary to modify the design methodology according to the BIM system. Therefore, the present paper wants to analyse the state of the art of the experiences at international level about BIM learning, in order to clarify if BIM can be considered a new educational technology in AEC education.