Methodologies of learning served by virtual reality: a case study in urban interventions

A computer-simulated reality and the human-machine interactions facilitated by computer technology and wearable computers may be used as an educational methodology that transforms the way students deal with information. This turns the learning process into a more participative and active process, which fits both the practical part of subjects and the learner’s profile, as students nowadays are more technology-savvy and familiar with current technological advances. This methodology is being used in architectural and urbanism degrees to support the design process and to help students visualize design alternatives in the context of existing environments. This paper proposes the use of virtual reality (VR) as a resource in the teaching of courses that focus on the design of urban spaces. A group of users—composed of architecture students and professionals related to the architecture field—participated in an immersing VR experience and had the opportunity to interact with the space that was being redesigned. Later, a quantitative tool was used in order to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual systems in the design of urban environments. The survey was designed using as a reference the competences required in the urbanism courses; this allowed the authors to identify positive and negative aspects in an objective way. The results prove that VR helps to expand digital abilities in complex representation and helps users in the evaluation and decision-making processes involved in the design of urban spaces.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Interactive virtual method applied in urban design education. Mixed Approach

La memòria d'aquesta tesi tracta sobre l'ús de la transformació digital en l'ensenyament i els processos de disseny urbà, a través de conceptes innovadors i metodologies pràctiques. L'objectiu és promoure l'ús de tecnologies digitals, en particular per avaluar la inclusió de la realitat virtual en diversos entorns d'ensenyament formals i informals del disseny urbà col·laboratiu, per tal de millorar, accelerar i augmentar el seu impacte social de forma positiva i millorar l'ensenyament universitària ajudant al fet que els estudiants consolidin amb major efectivitat les seves habilitats. Amb les característiques d’un sistema de realitat virtual, podem provar la nostra hipòtesi en funció de demostrar: (1) La implementació d'estratègies virtuals gamificades en el camp del disseny urbà generarà una millora i motivació en la participació ciutadana i dels estudiants, ja que l’entorn és més dinàmic, real i permet un disseny col·laboratiu àgil gràcies a les tecnologies visuals immersives, mentre avaluen críticament el resultat d'un disseny urbà i prenen decisions. (2) L'ús de sistemes virtuals interactius per a la comprensió de l'espai tridimensional millora en els estudiants i professionals la percepció de la comprensió de l'espai, generant major enteniment de les condicions d'ubicació, dimensions i relacions dels espais urbans, i defensar els arguments de projectes urbans i propostes urbanes definides interactivament que proven diverses estratègies d'acció. Per provar les nostres hipòtesis, fem servir un mètode quantitatiu i qualitatiu aplicat en diferents escenaris i als diferents perfils d'usuaris, estudiants, professionals i usuaris finals. Els resultats mostraran que és possible potenciar la transformació digital, millorar la motivació pública, la implicació i la satisfacció en els processos de presa de decisions urbanes, així com complementar l'adquisició de competències urbanes específiques necessàries per a la professió en estudiants d'Arquitectura.La memoria de esta tesis trata sobre el uso de la transformación digital en la enseñanza y los procesos de diseño urbano, a través de conceptos innovadores y metodologías prácticas. El objetivo es promover el uso de tecnologías digitales, en particular para evaluar la inclusión de la realidad virtual en diversos entornos de enseñanza formales e informales del diseño urbano colaborativo, con el fin de mejorarlo, acelerar y aumentar su impacto social positivo y mejorar la enseñanza universitaria ayudando a que los estudiantes consoliden con mayor efectividad sus habilidades. Con las características de un sistema de realidad virtual, podemos probar nuestra hipótesis en función de demostrar: (1) El uso de sistemas virtuales interactivos para la comprensión del espacio tridimensional mejora en los estudiantes y profesionales la percepción de la comprensión del espacio, generando mayor entendimiento de las condiciones de ubicación, dimensiones y relaciones de los espacios urbanos, y defender los argumentos de proyectos urbanos y propuestas urbanas definidas interactivamente que ensayan diversas estrategias de acción. (2) La implementación de estrategias virtuales gamificadas en el campo del diseño urbano generará una mejora y motivación en la participación ciudadana y en los estudiantes, ya que es un entorno de colaboración más dinámico, real y ágil gracias a las tecnologías visuales inmersivas, mientras evalúan críticamente el resultado de un diseño urbano y toman decisiones. Para probar nuestras hipótesis, utilizamos un método cuantitativo y cualitativo aplicado en diferentes escenarios y a diferentes perfiles de usuarios, estudiantes, profesionales y usuarios finales. Los resultados mostrarán que es posible potenciar la transformación digital, mejorar la motivación pública, la implicación y la satisfacción en los procesos de toma de decisiones urbanas, así como complementar la adquisición de competencias urbanas específicas necesarias para la profesión en estudiantes de Arquitectura.The memory of this thesis deals with the use of digital transformation in the teaching and processes of urban design, through innovative concepts and practical methodologies. The objective is to promote the use of digital technologies, in particular, to evaluate the inclusion of virtual reality in various formal and informal teaching environments of collaborative urban design, in order to improve it, speed up, and increase its positive social impact and improve university teaching by helping students consolidate their skills more effectively. With the characteristics of the VR system, we can test our hypothesis based on demonstrating: (1) The use of virtual-interactive systems for the understanding of three- dimensional space improve in students and professionals the perception of the comprehension of the space, generating a greater understanding of the location conditions, dimensions and relationships of urban spaces, and defend the arguments of urban projects and interactively defined urban proposals rehearsing various strategies of action. (2) The implementation of virtual gamified strategies in the field of urban design will generate improvement and motivation in citizen participation and students as it is a more dynamic, real and agile collaborative environment thanks to the immersive visual technologies as they critically evaluate the result of the urban design and make decisions. To validate our hypothesis, we use a quantitative and qualitative method applied in different scenarios and to a different profile of users, students, professionals and end users. The results will show that it is possible to empower digital transformation, to improve public motivation, implication, and satisfaction in urban decision-making processes as well as complementing the improvement of the perception of the comprehension of the space needed for the profession in Architecture students

Percepções da realidade virtual não imersiva e imersiva de baixo custo na área de arquitetura e urbanismo

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Arquitetura e Urbanismo, Florianópolis, 2019.Esta pesquisa de mestrado se propôs a investigar e comparar as diferentes percepções que estudantes de arquitetura e urbanismo têm ao interagirem com a Realidade Virtual não Imersiva (computador) e a Realidade Virtual Imersiva de Baixo Custo (google cardboard). Este estudo se caracteriza como exploratório, aplicado e de desenvolvimento experimental, com análise de dados qualitativos (relatos verbais) e quantitativos (escala de likert e dimensões estimadas). Os dados qualitativos foram organizados por meio de análise de conteúdo e os quantitativos tiveram a normalidade da amostra testada e a mediana submetida ao teste estatístico U de Mann Whitney. Este teste buscou evidenciar a hipótese nula (não há diferença de percepção entre os dois formatos de Realidade Virtual), ou a hipótese alternativa (há diferença de percepção entre os formatos) referente às percepções dos estudantes. Os procedimentos metodológicos desenvolvidos para coleta de dados envolveram: oficinas de Realidade Virtual, entrevista com professores de arquitetura e urbanismo e um experimento envolvendo a Realidade Virtual não Imersiva e Imersiva de baixo custo. A partir dos dados coletados, foram inferidas nove categorias de percepção, dentre elas: altura real e percebida, senso de presença, interação e movimentação, campo visual, estimação de medidas, sensações e emoções, ergonomia física do Google cardboard e opinião sobre os formatos de RVs. Diante dos testes estatísticos, notou-se que, apenas na categoria de senso de presença em sua totalidade, é possível sugerir uma diferença significativa de percepção entre os dois formatos de Realidade Virtual. Na categoria de estimação de medidas, os testes estatísticos não evidenciaram diferença significativa entre estimar medidas no computados ou no modo imersivo. Sugere-se que em Realidade Virtual Imersiva quanto mais elementos do mundo real estiverem representados no mundo virtual, mais o usuário tem a sensação de presença. Em relação ao dispositivo Google cardboard, os alunos puderam se apropriar rapidamente tanto com o formato de interação como com as novas percepções adiquiridas.Abstract: This research aims to investigate and compare the different perceptions that students of architecture and urbanism have when interacting with non-immersive virtual reality (computer) and low cost immersive virtual reality (google cardboard). This study is characterized as exploratory, applied and experimental development, with analysis of qualitative (verbal reports) and quantitative (likert scale and estimated dimensions) data. Qualitative data were organized by content analysis and quantitative data had the normality of the sample tested and the median submitted to the Mann Whitney U statistical test. This test sought to highlight the null hypothesis (there is no difference in perception between the two formats of Virtual Reality), or the alternative hypothesis (there is difference in perception between formats) regarding students' perceptions. The methodological procedures developed for data collection involved: Virtual Reality workshops, interviews with architecture and urbanism teachers and an experiment involving the Non-Immersive and the low cost Immersive Virtual Reality. From the collected data, nine categories of perception were inferred, among them: real and perceived height, sense of presence, interaction and movement, visual field, estimation of measurements, sensations and emotions, physical ergonomics of Google cardboard and opinion about formats of RVs. Given the statistical tests, it was noted that only in the category of sense of presence in its entirety, it is possible to suggest a significant difference in perception between the two formats of Virtual Reality. In the measurement estimation category, statistical tests showed no significant difference between estimating computed or immersive measures. It is suggested that in Immersive Virtual Reality the more elements of the real world are represented in the virtual world, the more the user has a sense of presence. Regarding the Google cardboard device, students were able to quickly appropriate both the format of interaction and the new perceptions gained