Teaching Technological Leadership in Globally Distributed Teams Working with Building Information Models

In this paper, the authors analyse leadership learning in distributed student teams working together on Building Information Models (BIM). This paper includes the curriculum design and learning outcomes for student teams consisting of students from Indian Institute of Technology - Madras (IIT) and the University of Washington (UW), USA. The literature on leadership suggests that with current communication technology, students who seek AEC professional careers need to include technological leadership in their learning. In this paper we explore leadership as a social process learned through experience. We conclude that technological leadership learning does occur in globally distributed student team assignments, and that with a two project approach, students can apply their learning in the second project immediately after learning from the first project.