Abstract:

The use of technological gadgets is becoming an integral part of life for Generation Z students. Engaging these tech-savvy students in the learning process with their preferred learning style is a daunting task. The differences in teaching and learning styles result in problems such as disengagement of students, loss of learning aptitude, and loss of knowledge retention. Recent innovations in visualization technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) provide avenues that allow these students to engage in a social, collaborative and active learning environment. VR refers to an immersive digital environment that simulates physical presence in places in the real or imagined worlds whereas MR represents the merger of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations. Using three controlled experiments these two emerging technologies are investigated to enhance the educational experience of Generation Z undergraduate building construction students. The results indicated that these technologies significantly enhance the learning experience and engage students in an active learning process. This paper will first briefly introduce the VR and MR technologies and rationale behind using these technologies in building construction courses. After that, each experiment is explained by outlining its aim, specific design, results, and lessons learned. At the end, conclusions and recommendations are drawn for implementing these technologies in a classroom. It is hoped that the presented findings will be helpful to instructors in construction, architecture, engineering, and other related disciplines.

Keywords:

Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality, Construction, Gaming, Active Learning.