33rd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 33) - Osaka and Kyoto, Japan - 2025

https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0281

Teaching Lean Construction: an Overview of Trends and Future

Eric Forcael1, Vicente A. Gonzalez2, Rodrigo Herrera3, Eder Martínez4 & Caroll Francesconi5

1Professor, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile; [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0002-3036-4329
2Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Digital Lean Construction, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2H5, Canada; [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0003-3408-3863
3Assistant Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2362804, Chile; [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0001-5186-3154
4Head of Lean Division Civil Engineering, Implenia AG, Thurgauerstrasse 101A, Glattpark (Opfikon) 8152, Switzerland, [email protected], orcid.org/0000-0001-7918-9421
5Director of Graduate Academic Affairs and Development, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción 4081339, Chile; [email protected], orcid.org/0009-0008-0667-1805

Abstract

Since its inception in the early 1990s, Lean Construction (LC) has had a significant impact on the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Under this philosophy, various methods have been developed to apply Lean practices in AEC. A fundamental first step is to begin with higher education institutions that train future construction professionals. Consequently, this research aimed to identify the main current and future trends in teaching LC. Additionally, it aimed to assess how such teaching aligns with the most commonly employed didactic techniques in AEC education. To achieve this objective, a survey was conducted among professors and practitioners from different parts of the world, revealing interesting findings, including the predominance of tools such as the Last Planner System in teaching LC, and that the Case Study approach as the most utilized in the classroom from a didactic view.

Keywords

Lean Construction, AEC Education, Teaching, Didactic Techniques.

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Reference in APA 7th edition format:

Forcael, E., Gonzalez, V. A., Herrera, R., Martínez, E. & Francesconi, C.. (2025). Teaching Lean Construction: an Overview of Trends and Future. In Seppänen, O., Koskela, L., & Murata , K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 33) (pp. 1528–1539). https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0281

Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:

Forcael, E., Gonzalez, V. A., Herrera, R., Martínez, E. & Francesconi, C.. (2025). Teaching Lean Construction: an Overview of Trends and Future. IGLC33. https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0281

 

Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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