Theoretical Foundations of Training Students in the Building

Information Modeling in the Context of Sustainable Development of

the Construction Industry

Anastasia Vilisova

and Lyudmila Mironova

Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Institute of Construction and Architecture,

Department of Hydraulics, Mira street, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation

Keywords: Building Information Modeling, Information Modeling in Construction, Teaching Students to Work in BIM,

Minor, Training to Work in BIM.

Abstract: In connection with the implementation of the state program «Digital Economy of the Russian Federation»,

there is an increase in demand for engineers who have competence in the field of building information

modeling (BIM). Only such professional staff will be able to ensure the sustainable development of the

construction industry in the context of its digitalization. The article is devoted to the problem of insufficient

teaching of bachelors and masters for BIM design. The purpose of the article is to develop a minor in the form

of an online course «Building Information Modeling Technologies», designed for students studying

bachelor’s and master’s programs at the Institute of Construction and Architecture. The method used is a

general scientific method, namely, the analysis of scientific and methodological literature and normative

documents on the topic of the study. The practical value of the work lies in the development of the structure

of the minor academic plan and its content, which can later be used in universities to teach students for

professional activities in the field of BIM design of construction objects.

1 INTRODUCTION

The state program «Digital Economy of the Russian

Federation» is being implemented in the Russian

Federation with the aim of creating a digital economy

ecosystem in which digital data is a key factor of

production in all spheres of socio-economic activity,

including construction.

It is obvious that the sustainable development of

the construction industry in the context of the

digitalization of the economy involves the use of

personnel employed in this field, developed

platforms, technologies, institutional and

infrastructure environment.

A number of researchers (Rothenbusch et al.,

2021) call BIM (building information modeling)

technology one of the trends in the construction

industry digitalization.

It is obvious that specialists who are trained for

professional activity in the construction objects

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6357-9764

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3675-6008

design should be confident in the technology of

information modeling.

The demand for specialists in this field is also

determined by the trend towards the mass

introduction of BIM technology in Russian

enterprises according to the action plan for the

implementation of the assessment of the economic

efficiency of investment justification and information

modeling technologies, approved by the Government

of the Russian Federation on April 11, 2017, No.

2468p-P9.

However, an analysis of the academic plans of

universities that train future builders has shown that

the training of students in BIM technology is not

intended. This circumstance determines the problem

of the study.

The implementation of the state program «Digital

Economy of the Russian Federation» requires close

cooperation between the state, business, and science,

which will inevitably entail the formation of state

order for universities to train personnel who would

Vilisova, A. and Mironova, L.

Theoretical Foundations of Training Students in the Building Information Modeling in the Context of Sustainable Development of the Construction Industry.

DOI: 10.5220/0010594505950600

In Proceedings of the International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure (ISSDRI 2021), pages 595-600

ISBN: 978-989-758-519-7

595

have the necessary competencies to work with

information modeling technology. This determines

the relevance of the research topic.

The purpose of the article is to develop and offer

a minor in the form of an online course «Building

Information Modeling Technologies».

To achieve the goal of the research, it is necessary

to solve the following tasks: to analyze scientific

articles in this field; to determine the competencies

that a specialist in information modeling in the field

of construction should have; to develop a basic

academic plan and content of the minor; to propose

methods for monitoring and evaluating the results of

the formation of competence in the field of BIM

technology application, as well as recommendations

for the formation of staff who teach students BIM

technology.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

The problem of training specialists in higher

educational institutions with a certain level of

competence to work with BIM technology is an

urgent problem, which is confirmed by a number of

studies.

Thus, over the past decade, the global

construction industry has demonstrated an obvious

and urgent need for professionals who know the

technology of building information modeling (Chen

et al., 2020).

The studies (Goldobina and Orlov, 2017;

Yakshina et al., 2019) speak about the need to

improve the system of training and implementation of

BIM technology in the process of training civil

engineers as part of the strategic development of the

construction industry.

However, despite the increasingly widespread

adoption of building information modeling

technology, a steady stream of graduates ready to

work with BIM, required to meet the demand in the

industry, still cannot be identified (Casasayas et al.,

2021).

The study (Maharika et al., 2020) notes that most

of the current BIM implementation models are

focused more on the construction industry (consulting

firms and contractors) and less on higher education

institutions. Responsibility for BIM education should

be shared between industry and academia (Sampaio,

2021). Many researchers want cooperation between

universities and industry (Chen, Lu, Wang, 2020).

The obstacles that make it difficult to prepare

graduates of the appropriate level in the field of BIM

technology proficiency were highlighted (Casasayas

et al., 2021):

 The gap between the educational sphere and the

construction industry;

 Problems of managing changes in the

educational process;

 Limitations of educational and thematic plans

and program content;

 Lack of teachers with the necessary

qualifications.

It is quite obvious that these problems require

finding solutions with the joint participation of

representatives of higher educational institutions and

the construction sector. However, some researchers

associate a number of questions with these problems,

to which there are no answers yet. For example, how

both parties can contribute to the collaboration to

achieve high-quality student learning (Chen et al.,

2020).

The inclusion of BIM in university academic

plans, along with core engineering disciplines, has

been gaining momentum in recent years. BIM’s

models of integration into the learning process vary

significantly from country to country in terms of the

approaches, strategies, and methods applied to the

professional and academic environment (Isanović

and Colakoglu, 2020). According to the authors of

this article, high-quality training of students to work

with information modeling technology is a

determining factor for the further sustainable

development of construction, architecture, and other

engineering areas within the framework of

digitalization of the construction industry in Russia.

The implementation of the minor «Building

Information Modeling Technologies» is one of the

tools for the formation of a competitive construction

industry that meets high standards of quality and

efficiency, working on the basis of modern financial,

economic, technical and managerial mechanisms.

3 METHOD

The interdisciplinary character of the article covers

research at the intersection of pedagogical, economic

and engineering sciences. In this connection, it was

necessary to analyze a wide range of issues affecting

the theoretical foundations of the digitalization of the

construction sector and the training of BIM

technology in the educational process of higher

educational institutions.

To achieve the goal of the study, a general

scientific method was used, namely, the analysis of

ISSDRI 2021 - International Scientiﬁc and Practical Conference on Sustainable Development of Regional Infrastructure

596

scientific and methodological literature and

regulatory documents on the issues of digitalization

of construction and the development of BIM

technology.

Within the framework of the study, a target group

of people was identified for whom the proposed

minor «Building Information Modeling

Technologies» is designed ‒ it includes students

studying bachelor’s and master’s educational

programs in the field of construction.

The purpose of the minor program is to develop

student’s competence (relevant knowledge, skills,

and experiences) to perform professional activities in

the field of investment and construction project

management using BIM technology.

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Minor «Building Information Modeling

Technologies» is focused on professional standards

for construction and design: Architect, Head of a

construction organization, Specialist in the field of

assessment and expertise for urban planning,

Specialist in the field of engineering and technical

design for urban planning, Organizer of design

production in construction and professional standard

for IT ‒ Information Technology Manager.

The list of competencies that a specialist in

information modeling in the field of construction

should have:

 Availability of knowledge about the features of

information modeling of construction objects

with the use of special computer programs;

 Ability to develop project documentation based

on the results of engineering and technical

design;

 Ability to develop the architectural section of

project documentation in investment and

construction projects.

The minor developed in the framework of the

research is focused on the formation of the basics of

the listed competencies in students.

4.1 Minor Structure

To learning the minor «Building Information

Modeling Technologies», 72 hours are required,

including 18 hours – lectures, 36 hours – laboratory

classes, 18 hours – independent work.

The form of implementation of the minor is full-

time and part-time, with the use of distance

educational technologies (e-learning), 4-6 hours a

week.

The form of assimilation control of the minor is a

test.

4.1.1 Content

The minor «Building Information Modeling

Technologies» includes 6 topics.

Topic 1. Introduction to the Autodesk Revit

software. Interface. Opportunities.

Topic Content 1: Software Interface. Basic

principles of working in the Autodesk Revit

environment. Developing of project and working

documentation in Autodesk Revit.

Topic 2. Basic principles of working with families

in the information model project.

Topic Content 2: Defining a family.

Classification of families. Templates for creating

families. Learning the interface of the family editor.

The creation of a family, the download to the project,

and location. The graphics of the family and creating

specifications. Creating parameters.

Topic 3. Studying the features of data exchange

between information modeling programs.

Topic Content 3: Import of drawings from CAD

(computer-design automation systems). Export of

project information to calculation complexes.

Topic 4. Visual programming: learning the basics.

Topic Content 4: Features of creating code for

automating work on an investment and construction

project. Interaction with project elements. Creating

objects along a complex trajectory. Features of the

placement of components. Finishing depending on

the parameters of the projected object.

Topic 5. Working with projects: review, analysis,

and verification.

Topic Content 5: Program formats. Performing a

project build. Performing a check for intersections

(collisions). Visualization in a software environment.

Topic 6. Working together on projects.

Topic Content 6. Basic principles of working

together on a project. Storage of information in the

cloud storage. Ways to link files for collaboration, a

common coordinate system. Features of the

distribution of functions between the specialists of the

project department. Exploring of the «Collaboration

panel».

4.1.2 Academic Plan

Table 1 shows the Academic plan of the minor

«Building Information Modeling Technologies»

developed by the authors of the article.

Theoretical Foundations of Training Students in the Building Information Modeling in the Context of Sustainable Development of the

Construction Industry

597

Table 1: Academic plan.

The

number

of to

Hours T.U.*

Includin

L. L.C. I.W.

1 12 3 6 3

2 12 3 6 3

3 10 3 4 3

4 12 3 6 3

5 12 3 6 3

6 12 3 6 3

Attestation 2 0 0 2 0

Total 72 1 18 36 18

List of abbreviations: * T.U. ‒ test units; ** L. ‒lectures;

L.C. ‒laboratory classes; I.W. ‒ independent work.

A feature of the learning process within the

framework of the minor is its pronounced practice-

oriented orientation. The increased volume of

laboratory classes, the transfer of part of the

educational process to independent

work allows

students to consistently master the basics of

information modeling technology without

interrupting the main educational process.

4.1.3 Monitoring and Evaluation of Results

The current control over the development of the

minor is carried out by testing at different stages of

training. The final control is carried out in the form of

a test and a final laboratory work, for the performance

of which the student receives a «pass test».

The development of test tasks is at the

competence of the staff of the minor. Table 2 shows

the criteria developed by the article authors for

evaluating the results of students in the minor

program development.

Table 2: Results and evaluation criteria.

Student results Criteria for evaluation

1. Knows the

methodology of

information modeling

of project elements.

2. Knows how to

exchange data between

programs that are used

in the design and

implementation of

calculations.

3. Knows the

methodology of

working together on

rojects.

Demonstrates management

of the information modeling

environment elements.

There is a more complex

element of the project.

The model created in

Autodesk Revit was

imported into another

software

acka

(

one

)

Demonstrates management

of the «Collaboration

panel» functionality in

Autodesk Revit.

Answered correctly on at

least 70% of the test tasks.

After passing the test and completing the final

laboratory work, students sum up the results of

training in the minor, taking into account the level

approach in determining the level of competence

formation (Paharenko and Zol’nikova, 2012):

 High level of BIM competence: the training

material is fully mastered, the student fully

understands the methodology of information

modeling of project elements, methods of data

exchange between programs, and methods of

joint work on projects.

 Basic level of BIM competence: the training

material of the minor is sufficiently mastered,

the student is familiar with the methodology of

information modeling of project elements,

knows the ways of data exchange between

programs and the methodology of joint work on

projects, but makes minor mistakes. It is

recommended to pay attention to independent

work in programs for information modeling of

construction objects.

 Average level of BIM competence: the training

material of the minor is not sufficiently

mastered, the student at the initial level knows

the methodology of information modeling of

project elements, methods of data exchange

between programs, and methods of joint work

on projects while making significant mistakes.

It is recommended to pay attention to the

repeated study of the theory, independent work

in programs for information modeling of

construction objects.

 Low level of BIM competence: the training

material of the minor is poorly mastered by the

student, the information modeling

methodology is insufficiently studied, and

allows a significant number of errors. It is

recommended to pay attention to the repeated

study of the theory and additional literature, as

well as to independent work in programs for

information modeling of construction objects.

4.2 Faculty Members

When implementing the minor, the combined

teaching staff is recommended. It is advisable that

lectures for students studying in the field of

construction should be conducted by teachers of the

main engineering disciplines. It is advisable to

conduct laboratory classes for invited teachers-

employees of construction organizations specializing

in design using BIM technology.

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This approach to the formation of teaching staff

in the study of BIM technology has several

advantages.

Firstly, the professional competencies of teachers

of engineering disciplines allow students to easily

present lecture materials in the field of building

information modeling. Secondly, in the laboratory

classes, students who master the minor have the

opportunity to get answers to questions related to

information modeling technology from practical

teachers in this field.

Thus, the involvement of combined teaching staff

in the implementation of the minor allows students to

comprehensively master the advanced capabilities of

digital technologies in the development of

information models of buildings.

4.3 Requirements for the Results of

Passing the Minor

The results of the development of the minor are:

 Knowledge of the methodology of modeling

information model project elements using

special computer programs;

 Ability to apply the basic principles of data

exchange between computer programs for

designing and performing calculations;

 Practical knowledge of the technology for

performing joint work on an information model

in an investment and construction project.

The totality of these results determines the

competence that is necessary for a competitive specialist

of building information modeling.

The following advantages are provided by students

studying BIM technology at universities without

interrupting the main educational process:

 Mastering the technology of information

modeling even before the beginning of

professional activity;

 Lectures, laboratory classes, and independent

work in the complex allow students to master

the theory and practice of using BIM;

 Interaction between students and teachers-

employees of project organizations contributes

to the establishment of new professional

contacts in the future.

Thus, students who have been trained in the minor

«Building Information Modeling Technologies» are

prepared for professional activities in organizations

focused on designing with the use of BIM technology.

5 CONCLUSIONS

The use of BIM technology in construction

companies today is carried out on an initiative basis

since in this area in the Russian Federation there is no

state-mandated requirement for its mandatory

implementation (Chikovskaya, 2013).

However, due to the trend towards the mass

implementation of BIM technology in Russian

enterprises, according to the action plan approved by

the Government of the Russian Federation on April

11, 2017, No. 2468p-P9, the demand for specialists

who own BIM is growing every year.

The article specifies the competencies that a

specialist in information modeling in the construction

field should have. On their basis, the academic plan

and minor content were developed in the online

course form «Building Information Modeling

Technologies» for master’s and bachelor’s degree

students studying in the construction field, which

allows us to state that the goal of the study has been

achieved.

The analysis of scientific articles in this field has

shown that there are problems that make it difficult to

teach information modeling technologies to students

in higher educational institutions.

However, these problems can be solved by

organizing the educational process through the joint

efforts of the higher educational teachers and the

construction sector specialists.

Methods of monitoring and evaluating the results

of the minor study were developed.

Recommendations on the teaching staff formation are

given.

The study of the minor is aimed at forming the

necessary professional competence of future

developers of investment and construction projects

based on information modeling technology. In the

future, this will facilitate the selection of personnel

for design organizations specializing in BIM

technology, which will contribute to the sustainable

development of the construction industry in the

context of its digitalization in accordance with the

state program «Digital Economy of the Russian

Federation».

We hope for the introduction of this minor in

Russian higher educational institutions for high-

quality training of specialists in the field of

information modeling of construction objects.

Theoretical Foundations of Training Students in the Building Information Modeling in the Context of Sustainable Development of the

Construction Industry

599

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