Building Information Modelling (BIM) Education in Nigerian Universities
Abstract
Building Information Modelling (BIM) has become a popular subject amongst professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. One way to bridge the BIM skillset knowledge gap is by training the recent crops of undergraduate and postgraduate students for BIM competency. This study examines the current realities of BIM education in Nigerian tertiary institutions from the student’s perspectives. Quantitative data through a structured survey questionnaire was gathered from architecture students across seven Nigerian universities involving three public and four private universities. A total of 197 duly completed survey responses were analyzed for the purpose of the study using descriptive statistics and the Relative Importance Index (RII). The study revealed that despite the improvement in the introduction of BIM courses, most students with dedicated BIM courses in their universities registered a low knowledge impact from the BIM course content. Lack of adequate information technology (IT) infrastructure emerged as the highest-ranked barrier to effective BIM education in Nigerian Universities. The study ultimately revealed a lack of standardization in the level at which BIM is taught across Nigerian tertiary institutions. The study recommends the need for adequate funding to establish functional BIM labs for architecture faculties in Nigerian Universities.
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