Virtual Reality for Design and Construction Education Environment

In the last few years, the application of VR has exponentially grown to give visually large field-of-view from planning to execution stages of any types of civil infrastructure systems. Handling the complexity and uncertainty of construction projects, however, requires well-prepared architects and engineers. Architecture and civil engineering students are also expected to go through the proper training to be well-equipped for this challenge. VR has proved a helpful tool for architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) education environments with the aim to leave a lasting impact on a student’s learning and experience. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of the most recent VR systems in the design and construction industry and the education environment. The paper also evaluates the use of VR in a two-pronged approach by conducting a comprehensive literature review and interviewing students in the master of project management (MPM) program. This paper could provide a roadmap for future efforts to implement VR into the architectural and construction industry as well as the education environment.