Assessing mobile mixed reality affordances as a comparative visualization pedagogy for design communication

Spatial visualisation skills and interpretation are critical in the design professions but are difficult for novice designers. There is growing evidence that mixed reality visualisation improves learner outcomes, but often these studies are focused on a single media representation and not on a comparison between media and the underpinning learning outcomes. Results from recent studies highlight the use of comparative visualisation pedagogy in design through learner reflective blogs and pilot studies with experts, but these studies are limited by expense and designs familiar to the learner. With increasing interest in mobile pedagogy, more assessment is required in understanding learner interpretation of comparative mobile mixed reality pedagogy. The aim of this study is to do this by evaluating insights from a first-year architectural design classroom through studying the impact and use of a range of mobile comparative visualisation technologies. Using a design-based research methodology and a usability framework for accessing comparative visualisation, this paper will study the complexities of spatial design in the built environment. Outcomes from the study highlight the positives of the approach but also the improvements required in the delivery of the visualisations to improve on the visibility and visual errors caused by the lack of mobile processing

Augmented reality meeting table: a novel multi-user interface for architectural design

Immersive virtual environments have received widespread attention as providing possible replacements for the media and systems that designers traditionally use, as well as, more generally, in providing support for collaborative work. Relatively little attention has been given to date however to the problem of how to merge immersive virtual environments into real world work settings, and so to add to the media at the disposal of the designer and the design team, rather than to replace it. In this paper we report on a research project in which optical see-through augmented reality displays have been developed together with prototype decision support software for architectural and urban design. We suggest that a critical characteristic of multi user augmented reality is its ability to generate visualisations from a first person perspective in which the scale of rendition of the design model follows many of the conventions that designers are used to. Different scales of model appear to allow designers to focus on different aspects of the design under consideration. Augmenting the scene with simulations of pedestrian movement appears to assist both in scale recognition, and in moving from a first person to a third person understanding of the design. This research project is funded by the European Commission IST program (IST-2000-28559)

Augmented and virtual reality in construction: Drivers and limitations for industry adoption

Augmented and virtual reality have the potential to provide a step-change in productivity in the construction sector; however, the level of adoption is very low. This paper presents a systematic study of the factors that limit and drive adoption in a construction sector-specific context. A mixed research method was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Eight focus groups with 54 experts and an online questionnaire were conducted. Forty-two limiting and driving factors were identified and ranked. Principal component analysis was conducted to group the identified factors into a smaller number of factors based on correlations. Four types of limiting factors and four types of driving factors were identified. The main limitation of adoption is that AR and VR technologies are regarded as expensive and immature technologies that are not suitable for engineering and construction. The main drivers are that AR and VR enable improvements in project delivery and provision of new and better services. This study provides valuable insights to stakeholders to devise actions that mitigate the limiting factors and that boost the driving factors. This is one of the first systematic studies to present a detailed analysis of the factors that limit and drive adoption of AR and VR in the construction industry. The main contribution of this study is that it grouped and characterized myriad limiting and driving factors into easily understandable categories, so that the limiting factors can be effectively mitigated and the driving factors potentiated. A roadmap with specific short-term and medium-term actions for improving adoption was outlined

Evaluation of knowledge transfer in an immersive virtual learning environment for the transportation community

In the year 2009, 667 individuals lost their lives in a highway construction or maintenance work zone (National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, 2010). Since the year 2003, 6,438 individuals have been killed in a highway construction or maintenance work zone, which is approximately 805 deaths per calendar year (National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, 2010). This eye-opening and unfortunate statistic points to the need for a re-evaluation of training methodology as it relates to work zone safety. This study reports on the use of virtual learning technology for work-zone training. This research tested the use of an Immersive Virtual Learning Environment (IVLE) simulating real-world highway work zones. IVLEs go beyond traditional visual learning by presenting images that combine a new form of visual learning and virtual-experiential learning in a way that is more congruent with an individual’s visual images stored in memory, thus improving knowledge transfer and retention (Dede, 2000; Kapp & O’Driscoll, 2010). The visual cues that the learner experiences in the virtual world are so similar to the visual cues in the real world that recall of virtual world lessons stored in memory are triggered by the same cues in the real world. Additionally, the student can experiment, make mistakes, and repeat the activity as often as necessary, achieving a virtual-experiential understanding of the concept that can only be duplicated in real-world experiential learning, which is often not practical (Dede, 2000; Kapp & O’Driscoll, 2010). Such immersive engagement in the learning activity will allow the learners to move beyond the memorization of the presented concepts and into the application and synthesis of the material. A significant benefit of this research will be a better understanding of how educators can implement this advanced, user-friendly, semi-transparent technology to positively affect the inclusion of marginalized populations into virtual learning environments. This research will establish a solid theoretical and evidence-based link between use of the virtual world learning environment and improved knowledge transfer and retention for that marginalized population that forms the bulk of the employment pool for military, construction, maintenance, and many other industrial entry-level positions

Collaboration in 3D virtual worlds: designing a protocol for case study research

Three-dimensional virtual worlds (3DVW) have been growing fast in number of users, and are used for the most diverse purposes. In collaboration, 3DVW are used with good results due to features such as immersion, interaction capabilities, use of avatar embodiment, and physical space. In the particular cases of avatar embodiment and physical space, these features support nonverbal communication, but its impact on collaboration is not well known. In this work we present the initial steps for creation of a protocol for case study research, aiming to assert itself as a tool to collect data on how nonverbal communication influences collaboration in 3DVW. We define the propositions and units of analysis, and a pilot case to validate them

Integration of E-Learning 2.0 with Web 2.0

A review of studies that have examined the integration of Web 2.0 tools into E-Learning 2.0 within built environment educational programs is undertaken. An analysis of studies undertaken reveals five core themes can be derived: (1) students using Web 2.0 demonstrate the capability for effective learning; (2) Skills learned via Web 2.0 can be transferred to the work and untrained tasks; (3) limited research has compared learning in conventional E-Learning and Web 2.0 environments; (4) E-Learning 2.0 enables social learning process to take place, and (5) the shift from eLearning 1.0 (Web 1.0 based) to E-Learning 2.0 (Web 2.0 based) requires not only a technological shift, but also a fundamental shift in the way knowledge is socially constructed and shared. Future issues and challenges are identified in order to ameliorate the integration of the E-Learning 2.0 experience with Web 2.0 tools

Benefits and Challenges of the Educational Metaverse: Evidence from Quantitative and Qualitative Data

The metaverse, as a more advanced form of virtual reality, has great potential for education because of its unique affordances for enhancing immersion, interaction, and presence. However, because its development is still in its infancy, there are few empirical studies on the application of metaverse in education, with insufficient empirical evidence from the literature regarding its effectiveness and valued design features, as well as its advantages and disadvantages as a technology-enhanced learning environment. Utilizing the case study method, this study designed and implemented a 40-minute psychology course with 31 undergraduate students in the metaverse using the Virbela platform and collected both quantitative and qualitative data to empirically explore the benefits and challenges of the educational metaverse. The quantitative results showed that the students reported good learning experiences in the metaverse, but their learning outcomes were unsatisfactory, just over the passing level. The qualitative results revealed useful design features and common technical challenges of the educational metaverse. Based on the results, several implications for designing and developing effective courses in the educational metaverse were proposed