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Buildings
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Digital Technology-Empowered Innovation and Application for Building Engineering Education
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Digital Technology-Empowered Innovation and Application for Building Engineering Education

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction Management, and Computers & Digitization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 August 2025 | Viewed by 8646

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Qingzhao Kong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Interests: education for wisdom; digital education; digital twin; virtual reality; STEM education; intelligent construction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lin Chen

E-Mail
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
Interests: embedded system development; STEM education; precision instruction; interactive teaching aids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Talents with creative problem-solving abilities are the primary production factor of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as the most important factor in national competitiveness and the level of economic and technological development. Higher education is the key step in talent cultivation, and engineering teaching is the specific practical link in the implementation of higher education. The new economy characterized by new technologies, industries, and formats is promoting the reform and practice of new engineering teaching in universities.

The current situation of traditional engineering teaching presents the following characteristics: strong theoretical property of basic mechanics courses without enough interest, insufficient integration of theory and practical applications, and a lack of interactive teaching modes. The current teaching situation cannot meet the urgent needs of universities for the deep integration of information technology and education in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Entering into the era of new-generation information technology and digital twin, virtual reality, and real-time visualization technologies, enhanced educational innovation is emerging rapidly. The transformation of traditional teaching into digital education is an inevitable trend in modern engineering teaching.

The main aim of this Special Issue is to exhibit and report the recent challenges, attempts, and developments in digital technology-empowered innovation and applications for engineering education. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

[Types of articles]

Technical papers/case studies/project reports/reviews and state-of-the-art discussions

[Type of engineering education]

Construction engineering/civil engineering/building engineering/structural engineering/seismic engineering

[Type of Digital Technology]

Virtual reality and augmented reality technology/artificial intelligence/machine learning technologies/big data technology

Prof. Dr. Qingzhao Kong
Dr. Lin Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • digital education
  • engineering education
  • teaching innovation
  • visualization technology
  • education for wisdom
  • intelligent tutoring system

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 3204 KiB  
Article
Logic-Driven and Technology-Supported Creativity Development Model in Open-Ended Design Tasks
by Yuqian Li, Shuai Lu, Weiguo Xu and Yingzhou Gao
Buildings 2025, 15(6), 871; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15060871 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 552
Abstract
The increasing reliance on digital tools in architectural education has transformed design workflows, offering new opportunities for creativity while posing challenges to students’ logical reasoning and structured problem-solving abilities. While digital tools facilitate automation and generative design, over-reliance on them can limit students’ [...] Read more.
The increasing reliance on digital tools in architectural education has transformed design workflows, offering new opportunities for creativity while posing challenges to students’ logical reasoning and structured problem-solving abilities. While digital tools facilitate automation and generative design, over-reliance on them can limit students’ ability to navigate design complexity independently. Addressing this issue, this study develops the Logic-Driven and Technology-Supported Creativity Development Model to examine the roles of logical frameworks, digital tools, and open-ended design tasks in fostering structured creativity. The findings reveal that logical frameworks provide essential cognitive scaffolding, helping students balance creative exploration with structured decision-making. Digital tools enhance form generation but introduce challenges such as automation bias and steep learning curves. Open-ended tasks promote design flexibility, yet their effectiveness depends on logical structures to maintain coherence. This study highlights the importance of curriculum design in supporting structured creativity, emphasizing the integration of technical training, interdisciplinary methods, and reflective learning. The findings contribute to design education theory and provide practical insights for improving course structures and pedagogical approaches in digital design environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Technology-Empowered Innovation and Application for Building Engineering Education)
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22 pages, 3255 KiB  
Article
Course Evaluation of Advanced Structural Dynamics Based on Improved SAPSO and FAHP
by Minshui Huang, Zhongao He, Jianwei Zhang, Zhihang Deng and Dina Tang
Buildings 2025, 15(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15010072 - 28 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 813
Abstract
Talent cultivation is the fundamental mission of higher education institutions, and the key to improving the quality of talent cultivation lies in enhancing the quality of teaching. In this regard, the Joint Committee recommends that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [...] Read more.
Talent cultivation is the fundamental mission of higher education institutions, and the key to improving the quality of talent cultivation lies in enhancing the quality of teaching. In this regard, the Joint Committee recommends that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) should be invited to participate in this conference, in accordance with their respective mandates. However, in China, research on course evaluation systems and mechanisms in application-oriented universities is relatively scarce, and the evaluation dimensions are often limited; therefore, the evaluation of graduate courses in universities faces challenges such as a lack of specialized assessment systems, limitation of evaluation methods, and an imbalance between emphasis on outcomes and neglect of the teaching process. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation system for the Advanced Structural Dynamics (ASD) course is constructed based on the context-input-process-product (CIPP) evaluation model. The evaluation was conducted from four perspectives: teaching objectives, teaching inputs, teaching processes, and teaching outcomes. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and simulated annealing particle swarm algorithm (SAPSO) are employed to study evaluation indicators and weights at various levels for the ASD course, and the proposed method is validated through practical examples. This study combines qualitative and quantitative evaluation indicators to achieve comprehensive assessment and adopts more scientifically rational algorithms for weight calculation, aiming to improve the accuracy and efficiency of weight calculation. The research findings of this study can further enhance the evaluation level of teaching quality and talent cultivation in graduate courses at application-oriented universities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Technology-Empowered Innovation and Application for Building Engineering Education)
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18 pages, 3345 KiB  
Article
Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence and Problem-Based Learning into the Digitization in Construction Curriculum
by Reza Maalek
Buildings 2024, 14(11), 3642; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14113642 - 15 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1648
Abstract
This study proposes incorporating generative artificial intelligence large language models (LLMs) into the Master of Science (M.Sc.) curriculum on digitization in construction. The aim was to help students generate computer code to solve, automate, and streamline practical challenges in advanced construction engineering and [...] Read more.
This study proposes incorporating generative artificial intelligence large language models (LLMs) into the Master of Science (M.Sc.) curriculum on digitization in construction. The aim was to help students generate computer code to solve, automate, and streamline practical challenges in advanced construction engineering and management (CEM). To this end, a host of problem-based learning (PBL) individual assignments and collaborative team projects were developed, alongside a combination of flipped classroom models and blended learning lessons, in order to teach effective interactions with LLMs and mitigate concerns, such as bias and hallucination. The effective interaction with LLMs not only facilitated code generation, which would otherwise be complex without additional formal training, but also provided a platform for strengthening basic project management skills, such as departmentalization, work breakdown structuring, modularization, activity delegation, and defining key performance indicators. The effectiveness of this approach was quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated within two new modules, Digital Engineering and Construction and Digital Technologies in Field Information Modeling. These modules were offered over three semesters each as part of a new M.Sc. program in Technology and Management in Construction at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. It was observed that 86.4% of students fully completed the PBL projects, while the remaining 13.6% achieved over 50% completion across all six semesters. Furthermore, anonymous student surveys indicated a teaching quality index of 100% in five semesters and 96.4% in one semester. These preliminary results suggest that the proposed strategy can be used to effectively integrate LLMs to support students in code generation for open-ended projects in CEM. Further research was, however, found to be necessary to ensure the sustainable revision and redesign of the problems as LLM capabilities evolve. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Technology-Empowered Innovation and Application for Building Engineering Education)
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29 pages, 1665 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Instructor Capability: Perspective from Building Information Modeling Competition Students in Mainland China
by Pengcheng Pan, Maoyuan Li, Chenshuo Li and Xuemeng Zong
Buildings 2024, 14(11), 3598; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14113598 - 12 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1407
Abstract
Building information modelling (BIM) technology, which has experienced rapid development, has become the focus of digital education learning in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) related disciplines. However, BIM education is still confronted with the disconnection between theoretical education and engineering practice. In mainland [...] Read more.
Building information modelling (BIM) technology, which has experienced rapid development, has become the focus of digital education learning in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) related disciplines. However, BIM education is still confronted with the disconnection between theoretical education and engineering practice. In mainland China, BIM competitions are an important digital platform for higher education practice teaching. As the organizer and leader of student participants, BIM instructors, especially their BIM capability, have an important impact on digital education. Previous research on BIM capability did not involve the field of BIM education, and the existing BIM capability framework is not entirely applicable to evaluating the BIM capability of instructors. Semi-structured interviews based on grounded theory (GT) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to construct a five-dimensional model containing 23 capability indicators. The research findings highlighted the multi-dimensional nature of BIM capability for instructors and indicated that personnel capability was the most important for instructors, while process capability was considered the most dispensable. This is significantly different from the emphasis on technical and process capability in BIM capability research in the traditional AEC industry. It was also found that students from different levels of universities and different educational backgrounds had different demands for the BIM capability of instructors. The results of this study will help universities select excellent instructors, improve the quality of BIM education in universities, and cultivate more outstanding BIM talents for the development of BIM in the AEC industry, thereby promoting the digital practice of BIM education in universities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Technology-Empowered Innovation and Application for Building Engineering Education)
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25 pages, 1333 KiB  
Article
Dilemmas and Solutions for Sustainability-Based Engineering Ethics: Lessons Learned from the Collapse of a Self-Built House in Changsha, Hunan, China
by Dina Tang and Minshui Huang
Buildings 2024, 14(8), 2581; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14082581 - 22 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3388
Abstract
With the rapid development of engineering construction in China, especially the emergence of large-scale engineering projects and self-built residential houses, ethical issues in engineering have become increasingly prominent. Engineering ethics encompass the moral issues within engineering practice. Currently, engineering ethics in China is [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of engineering construction in China, especially the emergence of large-scale engineering projects and self-built residential houses, ethical issues in engineering have become increasingly prominent. Engineering ethics encompass the moral issues within engineering practice. Currently, engineering ethics in China is in its early stages, due to a lack of practical experience and a comprehensive set of ethical norms and operational systems. To effectively prevent and control safety issues in self-built housing projects, and to avoid accidents, this paper firstly focuses on the causes of the collapse of self-built houses in Changsha on 29 April 2022, from the perspective of engineering ethics. By utilizing the meanings and relevant theories of engineering ethics, this paper analyzes the three ethical dilemmas involved in the collapse of self-built houses: the ethical dilemma faced by engineers, the dilemma of government credibility, and the dilemma of engineering ethics education. Subsequently, recommendations are proposed to address these dilemmas, focusing on enhancing engineers’ ethical perspectives, improving government credibility, and strengthening engineering ethics education. Finally, an analysis and decision-making model is constructed based on the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China. The research findings of this paper have certain reference significance for ensuring the safety of residential buildings, which can effectively motivate governments, owners, designers, constructors, managers, and users to actively develop and promote high-quality sustainable buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Technology-Empowered Innovation and Application for Building Engineering Education)
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