A Seven-Step BIM Collaboration Model for AEC Education: Bridging Disciplinary Silos Through BIM Maturity Level 3 Implementation

The growing implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries has placed increased pressure on higher education institutions to prepare graduates for interdisciplinary digital collaboration. In many emerging higher education environments, such as South Africa, structured pedagogical frameworks for BIM Level 3 collaboration are less well established. This paper addresses this gap by introducing and evaluating a seven-step BIM collaboration framework in an interdisciplinary final year undergraduate project. A comparative cohort case study design was adopted, analysing two cohorts: the 2022 cohort operating within a traditional siloed design model, and the 2023 cohort applying the proposed framework. Grounded in Habermas’s theory of communicative action, student design projects and self-reflection narratives from both the traditional siloed design process and the BIM-enabled framework were analysed deductively according to communication frequency, content, and quality as key categories. Communication quality was evaluated through intrinsic, contextual, representational, and accessibility information dimensions. Findings show that the BIM group had higher levels of established collaboration, better-quality contextually available information, more accessible structured data, and more effective communication. The findings indicate that structured BIM-based collaboration enhances a transformation from mere data exchange to constructive participation and comprehensive information development among students. Rather than functioning solely as a technical tool, BIM served as a structured communication environment that supported critical engagement and interdisciplinary workflows. This study offers a transferable pedagogical model for interdisciplinary BIM education and provides evidence supporting communication-oriented approaches to digital collaboration within built environment curricula.