This class definitely met, and exceeded, my expectations for it. The class was recommended to me from a classmate who told me that it would be an interesting class, and that what I put into it, I could expect to get out of it (learning and grade-wise). Thankfully, all of that has been true and I would definitely recommend this course to other students.
What I truly appreciated about the class was the beginning of the term - AI and BIM. The videos we watched in the first couple of weeks on artificial intelligence were extremely interesting. Learning about what scientists and industry are developing to enhance the construction process and our daily lives is fascinating. That humans have developed Watson - the computer that responds to its verbal environment - is more than impressive. Watson, and the developments like it, are something that I wish more people would learn about. Spurring innovation in this area can only benefit society - from assisting medical personnel to conducting life-saving operations in areas that are difficult/dangerous for humans to making homes and cars smarter. Additionally, robots, like the ones that flew around the room constructing the art figure, could be used in place of laborers to do the dangerous construction jobs. They could also stream-line construction by continuously removing waste material or bringing material to an active area. Although this removes human laborers, these laborers could instead be assisting in other areas at the same time. Both robots and Watson-like computers can be critical to improving intelligent buildings. They can interact with systems to update facilities staff and owners on building performance and can use a synergistic approach with other systems to improve building efficiency. I think that by learning about how AI, robots, and intelligent buildings can all work together, it opened our eyes to the future of buildings. Although we may hear occasionally about these systems being developed, because it is not out in force in the industry, it would be difficult for us, as emerging entry-level engineers, to promote their implementation.
BIM was also another interesting aspect of this course that I wish we had spent more time on. Because BIM is becoming a prominent technology in the industry, I would have preferred if we could have spent more time on it. At the beginning of the term, Dr. Mitchell said that this class was probably termed the "BIM course" and I wish it had been more in line with its nickname. Personally, for my career, having an in-depth class about BIM, much like many universities do for AutoCAD, would have been extremely beneficial. I would like to have left Drexel knowing enough about BIM that I could assist in leading a team at my job that had to work with it. Especially since many people who are currently in industry have limited exposure to the program. With that being said, having had the exposure to BIM, and knowing the resources that I can go to in order to learn more, I think that I have a solid foundation that I can carry forward in my job.
My least favorite part about the course was the emphasis on databases. This section seemed the least valuable to me only because it something that I will not have to encounter in my career. As mentioned above, I would have preferred to spend this time learning more about BIM, AI, and robots. However, I use Access daily to manage my finances so learning the other tools that the program is valuable for was good knowledge to have. And, who knows, maybe my supervisor will ask me to construct a database while I am doing my rotation through the project management side! Reading Kayleigh's blog made me realize that just because I may not use a technology does not mean that I should not know about it. The biggest issue in any technology-related field is not staying current with new techniques and technology. Therefore, although databases may not be directly relevant to where I want my career to take me, understanding how they work and their usefulness is good knowledge to have.
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