BIM laboratory exercises for a MEP systems course in a construction science and management program

Recognizing the need of Construction Science and Management students to be proficient with the latest information technology developments in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, the curriculum at the Construction Science and Management (CSM) program at the University of Texas at San Antonio was modified to include Building Information Modeling (BIM) courses. Starting with the 2014-2015 academic year BIM courses became part of the degree requirements. One of the courses requiring BIM is the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) Systems course. This paper focuses on the BIM based laboratory exercises developed for the MEP Systems course, the specific topics covered, and the organization of the course as it was modified to accommodate the inclusion of BIM. The differences with previous offerings of the course without the BIM component are described in the paper. It also discusses the perceived benefits and disadvantages of using BIM as part of the teaching process, as well as the difficulties and drawbacks encountered while using the software. In addition to presenting the instructor experiences, the paper also discusses the results and observations stemming from student surveys and evaluations. The student surveys were used specifically to assess the effectiveness of the BIM exercise in presenting the MEP topics. Additionally, the surveys provided student opinions and suggestions on how to improve the BIM component of the course, whereas the course evaluations only provided general feedback on the instructor teaching and course delivery. Lastly, the paper discusses future additions, changes and improvements to the course laboratory BIM exercises, as well as other changes to the course organization and topics covered that might be to ease the inclusion of BIM into the classroom.