Johnson - B7 Course Reflection

I really enjoyed taking this course.  It was very self-guided, which was incredibly satisfying.  You certainly got out what you put into the class.  The research was really interesting because it is information you would never get from another class.  We got a glimpse into the future of our industry by studying how A.I., robots, and BIM will all be integrated, and they are all basically in their initial stages.  The class made me not only consider my future profession in contracting, but also made me think about how it will be different in 5 to 10 years.  Understanding the technology that will be used in the future will keep me prepared and hopefully a more valuable employee.

The freedom allowed from the final project basically allowed for us to research any topic or work on anything we wanted, so long as it fit into the class categories.  This allowed my partner, Brad, and I to research a topic that was not only interesting but also a technology that may end up becoming a norm in the construction industry.  Our research project was on 3D laser scanning and how it connects all professions within the construction industry.  If we ever see scanning being used on a project, we will know how to handle it with knowledge that a typical engineer may not have. 

In addition to the new research that I was able to do, the class also provided a great foundation of knowledge within both BIM and databases.  Revit is a crucial part of any concentration of architectural engineering, so it is important to graduate with as much knowledge of the program as possible.  Creating and editing families is a crucial part of Revit and will be used across all disciplines.  It certainly would have helped for my past coop experiences where I edited families incorrectly.  In addition to BIM technologies, it really helped to have a base knowledge of what a database is, what it does, and how to make one.  Databases can help connect different categories and record certain values for future use.  After the database is created, it is simple to add new parts to the table to expand upon historical data.

Overall, the class is a really good experience.  It allows the students to do independent research based on their own interests due to its “loose” structure.  Its refreshing to take a class that is not strictly by the book.  It also helps students understand that the industry is constantly changing.  To be successful, we must accept change and adapt to new work environments.  There are so many technologies we learned about that are just being started up that will probably be in regular practice 10 years from now and will probably be outdated 10 years after that.  It is important to continue researching so that we do not fall behind the times.

Comments:

1) Deutsch
Alyssia,
I thought you made a good point about not really thinking outside your concentration. Since you are structural, you always think in terms of structural design. I think the class did a good job of pushing students to see aspects of the industry from different perspectives and how other aspects can apply to you, even if they are indirect relationships. I also agree that the research and collaboration aspects of the course were some of the most helpful as they helped you hear how other people view the topics. Overall, it gave a great base knowledge and helped build understanding for other's views.

2) V. A.
Mariano,
I agree that it was tough to understand how sensors and robotics would actually have a great impact on the future of the construction industry before taking the class. Understanding sensors and what they do is crucial for everyone in our line of work. We had a motion sensor on site for one of my coop jobs that would constantly go off. My company would get calls trying to figure out why they were getting high activity readings which was actually just because of wind and not our work. Sensors are important for regulating but it is also important to understand what could be causing different readings when you are on the wrong end of it. They will only get more prevalent in construction as people want to always know what is taking place.

3) Anibaba
Malik,
I absolutely agree that the blog posts were helpful in not only making us research a weekly topic but also getting feedback and seeing different perspectives. This is not only good for the class but also helps when we need to work with others with different backgrounds in the field. The class helped us understand more about our future work and what we will end up dealing with in terms of technology. AE410 was able to teach us both new technical skills with BIM and databases, as well as develop an understanding of what technologies we will face in the future as we advance in our careers.