Abstract:
The emergence of Virtual Reality (VR) in recent years has incepted a new paradigm in education. In the past decade, VR has become a reliable tool in the design, development, and simulation of various scenarios in different industries. The use trend of VR along with other technological advances indicates an ascending growth, which entices more researchers and educators to explore its capabilities, strengths, and challenges and take advantage of opportunities created. VR encompasses a unique set of characteristics and features that are effectively aligned with educational purposes. VR applications provide rich content in a customizable pace and delivery method. VR graphical features intrigue users, especially the new generation of students. VR training applications also minimize the physical risks of real situation-based training tools and provide students with easy access to anytime-anywhere educational sources. Like many other advancements in the construction area, VR has been explored and utilized with a delay. However, the broad scope of construction in industry and education furnishes an appealing path for VR development. Despite this opportunity, the lack of a VR design standard or framework has led construction developers to move forward with trial and error in their design or development processes. This paper provides a background of VR in construction education followed by a framework for VR construction education applications. Also, a retrospective analysis of a design and development of a VR training application for construction safety, derived from a case study, provides lessons learned for further similar applications.