Ebekozien, A and Aigbavboa, C O (2024) Improving quantity surveying education through continually updating curriculum digitalisation to meet industry requirements. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 22(5), pp. 1523-1543. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
Purpose: The dynamic nature of the built environment and trending smart construction project complexities demand proactive needs tailored towards architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) education. It is a task for the built environment professionals (BEP) to prepare for the future, including the quantity surveying (QS) profession. Studies are scarce in preparing QS education from Nigeria’s stakeholders' perspective regarding digital technology. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate how to improve QS education by continually updating curriculum digitalisation to meet the construction industry requirements. Design/methodology/approach: Data were sourced from elite virtual interviews across Nigeria. A total of 40 key stakeholders knowledgeable in QS education, advocating a future template for the advancement of QS education in higher institutions, were engaged, and saturation was achieved. Findings: Findings show that improving QS education through continually updating curriculum digitalisation to meet industry requirements cannot be over-emphasised in the 21st-century-built environment industry. The outcomes of the results led to the conclusion that the current QS education curriculum was not meeting the expectations of other BEP stakeholders. Thus, for competitiveness in the future, the QS education curriculum needs to infuse more related-digital technology modules/courses to assist in the sustainability and relevance of the profession within the BEP. Research limitations/implications: This paper focussed on improving Nigeria’s QS education using digital technologies via a qualitative approach. Future study is needed via a quantitative approach for broader coverage and validation. Practical implications: The research revealed the need for designing QS programmes to provide for industry demands with emphasis on digital technologies modules/courses. Nigeria’s QS education stakeholders have been stirred up to embrace the curriculum review and make the profession digitalised and relevant within the BEP. The built environment sector is trending towards digitalisation, and the QS programmes cannot afford to be behind. Originality/value: This research identified the current gap regarding digitalisation of the curriculum. This study will stir QS educational providers and regulators to improve future programmes via digital technologies. It would encourage the use of digital technologies with the right enabling environment. The outcome would mitigate the gap and improve Nigeria’s QS education in the future.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | built environment professional; competency; digital technology; higher education institution; Nigeria; quantity surveying; interview |
| Index terms: | surveying, profession, higher education institution, regulator, Nigeria, construction industry, future study, built environment, complexity, qualitative approach, methodology, validation, module, competitiveness, interview, digitalization, programme, construction project, digital technology |
| Subjects: | production management, digital technology, industry analysis, research methods, institututions, sociology, Geography, architectural elements, computing systems, project controls, market analysis, systems engineering, infrastructure and transport systems, data collection methods, professional development, research design and methodology, health monitoring assessment and metrics, educational institutions |
| Topics: | Roles and Professions, Digital Applications, Time Control, Geographical Context, Information Management, Education, Urban Studies, Stakeholder Management, Engineering Principles, Design Practice, Project Management, Health and Safety, Research Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here