Improved Perception of AEC Construction Details via Immersive Teaching in Virtual Reality

This work proposes, implements and tests an immersive framework upon Virtual Reality (VR) for comprehension, knowledge development and learning process assisting an improved perception of complex spatial arrangements in AEC in comparison to the traditional 2D projection drawing-based method. The research focuses on the prototypical example of construction details as a traditionally difficult teaching task for conveying geometric and semantic information to students. Our mixed-methods study analyses test results of two test panel groups upon different questions about geometric and functional aspects of the construction detail as well as surveys and interviews of participating lecturers, students and laypersons towards their experience using the VR tool. The quantitative analysis of the test results prove that for participants with little pre-existing knowledge (such as novice students), a significantly better learning score for the test group is detected. Moreover, both groups rated the VR experience as an enjoyable and engaging way of learning. Analysis of survey results towards the VR experience reveals, that students, lecturers and professionals alike enjoyed the VR experience more than traditional learning of the construction detail. During the post-experiment qualitative evaluation in the form of interviews, the panel expressed an improved understanding, increased enthusiasm for the topic, and greater desire for other topics to be presented using VR tools. The expressed better understanding of design concepts after the VR experience by the students is statistically significant on average in the exam results. The results support our core assumption, that the presentation of contextual 3D models is a promising teaching approach to illustrate content.