The experience of going through a pandemic like Covid-19 forced many sectors of the economy to evolve, including education, specifically higher education. Teaching methods in Engineering, Architecture, and Construction (IAC) adopted tools, which had been developed primarily for industry, to adapt them to teach. These tools have been added to the already existing Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and in this study, they are used as didactic teaching techniques. These tools are Building Information Modeling (BIM), Virtual Reality (VR), and the video game (VG) Call of Duty: Warzone (CoD: Wz). Some investigations have studied the scope that the use of BIM, VR, and video games can have in teaching separately. However, no research so far has been found that unites the three tools in a single methodology. This study aims to show the methodology and its results when implementing the Hydraulic 3D Lab (Hydr3D-Lab) tool for teaching in IAC. As will be explained later, in the procedure of implementing the methodology, the use of BIM, VR, and CoD: Wz software was promoted during teaching hours to improve skills and help students understand concepts that are difficult to comprehend and teach theoretically. The implementation of this technological tool was developed in the context of IAC’s national higher education programs at a university in Mexico. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of using the collaborative tool Hydr-3D-Lab as a teaching method for IAC. Additionally, this study proves that the learning experience can be enhanced using other technology tools such as Unreal Engine and Revit.

In the last years there has been an increment in the implementation of specialized virtual simulation software for engineering education. The main reason is the diversification towards different formats of learning such as online learning, blended learning, on-demand learning, among others. Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of using virtual simulation tools (such as game engines) for improving the learning outcomes in engineering courses. In the construction industry the most important virtual simulation software tool is Building Information Modeling (BIM). Even though the potential benefits of implementing BIM and game engines for educational purposes, there is no evidence of studies that implements both technologies together. In this study we develop a methodology for integrating BIM and game engines for engineering online learning for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) education. This study demonstrates: 1) the technical affordability for implementing advanced simulation tools for a construction course, and 2) the benefits of implementing such technologies for improving the learning experience of the students. The context of the development and implementation of the described methodology is in the framework of deployment of the new educational model Tec21 in national AEC higher education programs in the university Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is arguably the most important and promising ICT applied in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. One of the most important dimensions of BIM is its implementation for Virtual Reality (VR) to simulate and interact inside virtual environments of construction projects. The benefits of using BIM and VR with educational purposes has been explored recently by separate, however there is no evidence of an approach that develops and implements both technologies together. The research in this study is the first one in developing the framework for the implementation of a user-friendly BIM-VR software application with specific pedagogical objectives for AEC education. This study demonstrates that the development of this high-tech educative tool aims to: 1) make more effective use of learning hours through playful interaction with BIM models, and 2) improve understanding of abstract complex concepts that are difficult to explain theoretically. The implementation of this technological tool is developed in the context of national AEC higher education programs in a university in Mexico. In this study, the effectiveness of using a collaborative BIM-VR tool as a didactic method for AEC is demonstrated. Also, this study demonstrates that the learning experience can be improved using BIM-VR.

The integration of Circular Economy (CE) principles into higher education programs can be seen as an important step in achieving true sustainability in higher education. Even though the adoption of CE in higher education has improved in recent years, there has been little research about the effective integration of CE principles into academic programs. The aim of this paper is to present an analysis of the redesign and restructuring of an undergraduate construction management course integrated with CE principles as a methodology to impart sustainable development (SD) competencies; this research was done within the framework of the Tec21 educational model that has been in the process of implementation in the Tecnologico of Monterrey university system throughout its 26 campuses in Mexico. Although the new educational model calls for the development of SD competencies, among others, there is no information available on the current status of the integration of CE principles into bachelor-level courses in Construction Management. Therefore, this study contributes to research by providing a detailed analysis and documentation of the design process for the efficient incorporation of CE principles into such a course. The results of the study show that it is necessary to incorporate CE principles into the structure of course content in order to develop the SD competencies that are demanded by industry now and in the future.