How to Teach Computing in AEC

Information Technology in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (IT in AEC) is a niche topic, lacking critical mass in most faculties. Researchers are creating critical mass by intense international collaboration. The same is true for education about IT in AEC where critical mass can be achieved in a similar way. In 2004 the first students entered a new postgraduate program called IT in AEC. The program was developed by seven European universities. It is unique not only because of its content, which covers various related IT-topics, but also in the ways in which it is organized and executed and the didactic methods used. It is based on a commonly agreed upon curriculum and is delivered using distant learning technologies. In the first part, the paper describes the reasons for developing the new program. The second part of the paper describes the development process of the program and its content. The final part of the paper describes the learning environment and the underlying teaching-learning scenario(s).