A Roadmap to the Next-Generation Technology-Enabled Learning-Centered Environments in AEC Education

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) education communities are increasingly facing challenges caused by social, technological, economic, environmental, and political changes. Addressing these issues requires AEC educators and practitioners to systematically rethink and reform many of their current practices. Anecdotal evidence in AEC education already exists with respect to pedagogical improvements made by individual technologies such as immersive computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, cyberinfrastructure, and photogrammetry. However, an effective learning-centered environment is more complex than what any single technology can accomplish. In addition, the relationship between technology-intensive learning and digital inequity in AEC education remains, to the most extent, unclear. We envision the next-generation learning-centered environment for AEC education to be technology-intensive, interdisciplinary, industry-linked, and equitable. This paper aims to present a shared vision of the next-generation learning-centered environment for AEC education. To achieve this goal, two interrelated workshops were organized with the participation of different stakeholders, including researchers, educators, and professionals from multiple disciplines of architecture, engineering, construction, computer science, learning science, education, and social sciences. This paper is based on the combined outcomes of the two workshops, organized in four themes: (1) AEC curricula and industry practice, (2) technology and learning, (3) interdisciplinary education, and (4) digital inequity. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by creating a pathway to timely reflect on new learning strategies, new technologies, and future industry and societal needs in AEC curricula, thus producing a more adaptive AEC workforce for the 21st century. The findings of this work can be adopted by educators to develop a roadmap for creating the shared vision of the next-generation learning-centered environment for AEC education.