An Assessment of the Graphic Communications Skills Needed by Construction Management Graduates

摘要

Significant change in the area of graphic communication has taken place over the last couple of decades. More user-friendly graphical user interfaces have been developed for two-dimensional computer-aided design/drafting (CAD) graphics packages, and significant growth has happened with three-dimensional building information modeling (BIM). Such change requires that the undergraduate construction management curriculum at institutions of higher education (both 2-and 4-year colleges) keep pace with this in order to continue to meet the needs of the construction industry. The paper outlines the current state of practice in the industry regarding graphic communication and presents the results of a survey of 22 contractors. The results are compared with previous work in this area. The results and analysis reveal that the needs of the industry are still fluid dues to changes in graphic software capabilities, and that continued updating of the curriculum is necessary to reflect this.