Abstract:

The use of information and communication technologies has become a common resource for teaching and both lecturers and students use it. In addition, students, who start learning subjects related to construction, usually find difficulties in understanding and visualizing the different components of a building. For this reason, the use of three-dimensional visualization of the different elements comprising a building is essential in construction subjects, especially in the first subjects of the Degree. These 3D visualization models will allow the visualization of a complex element, such as a building, whose representation and understanding through a 2D conventional graphic material is complicated. These 3D models not only allow visualizing the different components of a building, but also understanding their execution.

For this reason, this paper presents the evaluation findings of implementing 3D building models in the teaching of two subjects: “Introduction to Construction” and “Construction of masonry walls and renders” at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Edificación of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

For this, several building models, covering foundations, structures, interior partitions, finishes and roofs, were prepared using SketchUp. Also, several videos showing the procedure of execution were made available to the students.

Finally, the results obtained in a survey questionnaire conducted to the students are presented and discussed. The students were asked their opinion and experience of the methodology and the models developed. This paper provides an overview of the study developed, describes the methodology used, summarizes the implementation experiences of the students involved and presents the main findings.

Keywords:

3D models, building projects, construction, teaching, SketchUp.