Teaching Architectural Technology Knowledge Using Virtual Reality Technology

Construction detail (CD) knowledge is one of the leading learning components in architectural technology (AT) study. The traditional pedagogical method adopts a series of two-dimensional drawings to explain three-dimensional objects. The interactive and immersive features of virtual reality (VR) technology attract attention from the educational sector. While architectural design education has begun exploring integrating VR tools in the classroom, especially in the early design stage, AT is one of the very few subjects that have experimented with VR. This research, undertaken from within a larger, ongoing project, aimed to explore if VR could assist in teaching AT knowledge, especially CD. The project has two phases: phase 1 created several VR lessons that explained specific AT knowledge, using a VR technology currently available for educational purposes; phase 2 adopted a mixed method approach to investigate learners' experience with the VR lessons created. This paper focuses on the experience in building up a VR learning environment in phase 1. The initial findings after phase 1 showed that the VR technology adopted in this project was not a perfect tool in creating a VR experience in the CD field but could still offer students degrees of virtual reality learning experience.