Abstract

This study explored the effectiveness of an instructional model integrating flipped classroom and collaborative learning in enhancing the BIM modeling ability of Chinese undergraduate architectural engineering students. The study involved 45 third-year undergraduate students in architectural engineering who were enrolled in an 8-week BIM course. The research adopted a one-group repeated-measures design, with three phased assessments conducted at T1, T2, and T3 during the 6-week instructional intervention. A final post-test (T4) was administered in the 7th week to monitor and track the development of students’ BIM modeling abilities over time. BIM modeling ability was evaluated across three core dimensions including BIM theoretical knowledge, BIM family modeling and BIM project modeling using a standardized scoring rubric. Two independent professional raters assessed the subjective components, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was calculated to examine interrater reliability. All ICC values were above 0.90, indicating excellent agreement between raters. A range of statistical analyses was conducted, including descriptive statistics, a one-sample t-test, and repeated-measures ANOVA. The findings showed that students’ overall mean BIM modeling ability scores increased steadily and significantly from 62.80 at T1 to 80.04 at T4, with statistical significance at p < .001. Substantial improvements were observed across all three core dimensions, and the effect sizes reached a large effect level. Qualitative analyses of classroom observations and students’ test papers revealed noticeable improvements in learning initiative and collaborative engagement. However, students with low performance levels continued to experience difficulties in areas such as material configuration, dimensional accuracy, and the application of complex commands. Results from a post-intervention satisfaction survey using five-point Likert scale indicated strong student approval of the instructional approach. Mean scores ranged from 3.44 to 4.60, with most items rated at a highly high level. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the integrated instructional model significantly enhanced students’ BIM modeling ability and also fostered more effective learning behaviors, offering meaningful practical implications for BIM instruction in architectural engineering education.

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