Demand for information literacy skills among engineering management postgraduates in the era of intelligent construction

With the rapid development of intelligent construction technologies, an increasing number of studies have focused on the application of information technology in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. However, studies on Information Literacy Skills (ILS) for engineering management (EM) postgraduates remain limited. The demand for ILS for EM postgraduates among employees in the real estate industry was investigated through a questionnaire survey. A questionnaire with 19 ILS indicators was distributed to employees from over 300 enterprises in the real estate and construction sectors, yielding 491 valid responses. The questionnaire’s Cronbach’s coefficient α of 0.963 indicates high reliability. No significant dual-factor loading was observed, which supported the scale’s high validity. Survey results revealed that 90% of respondents believed EM postgraduates should achieve “Comprehension” level or above across all ILS indicators. More than 40% of respondents emphasized the importance of engineering information system planning and design, Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence-related ILS. Therefore, it is recommended that ILS be integrated into the curriculum or practical training of EM postgraduates. This study offers significant insights and serves as a critical reference for enhancing the information literacy competencies of EM postgraduates, who are encouraged to strengthen these essential skills.