BIM for Construction Education in Nigeria

Introducing advanced information technologies (AITs) such as a BIM-enabled learningBIM-enabled learning environment (BLE) into architectural, engineering, construction, and facility management (AEC/FMAEC/FM) education might be an indirect but effective means of eradicating poverty and ensuring upward socioeconomic mobility for people all over the world, as the UN rightly recognizes in their mandate. In this study, we focus on a data collection tool to investigate the current state of the art of BIM for construction educationConstruction education among academics in an emerging economy (Nigeria). In the same framework, we strive to understand their perspectives, the benefits of BIM for construction educationConstruction education, and its perceived limitations. This preliminary study will assist us to later identify and compare structural features in these contexts to those in Europe and then assess the outcomes and repercussions of the proposed BLE in a developing economy like Nigeria. Using qualitative survey research design and analyzing with the aid of NVivo, nine themes emerged from the preliminary findings, viz., advantages, beyond present area, BIM in teaching, BIM in BIM-enabled learningBIM-enabled learning, constraints, general views about BIM in Nigeria, stakeholderStakeholders attitudes, and teaching method. These suggest that the designed data collection tool is sufficient in eliciting information from the population that is associated with BIM-enabled learningBIM-enabled learning among academics in emerging economies which would help in meeting the fourth goal (Quality Education) of the UN’s Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable developments Goal (SDG) plan.