Empowering quantity surveying students through BIM

Abstract

In the era of Education 5.0, Building Information Modelling (BIM) has become a vital digital competency for future-ready construction professionals. However, many Quantity Surveying (QS) students enter higher education with limited exposure to BIM, creating a gap between academic preparation and industry expectations. This study investigates the attitudes of QS students, encompassing their readiness, as well as the perceived benefits and barriers to learning BIM tools within a tertiary education context. A structured questionnaire was distributed to QS students enrolled in a BIM-integrated course at Universiti Teknologi MARA, yielding 163 valid responses. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Relative Importance Index (RII) ranking methods. The results reveal that, while most students had limited prior exposure, they expressed strong enthusiasm for learning BIM. Students valued BIM’s visualization capacity, its role in enhancing understanding of construction processes, and its contribution to collaborative learning. They also recognized BIM as an essential enabler for employability and long-term career development. At the same time, challenges such as hardware limitations, steep learning curves, and time constraints emerged as significant barriers. These findings highlight the importance of institutional support, adequate resources, and scaffolded teaching strategies. Overall, the study demonstrates BIM’s potential to empower QS students with digital competency, professional confidence, and career readiness, aligning with Education 5.0. It provides practical strategies for educators to bridge the gap between digital technologies and student capability.