5 Reasons Virtual Reality is the Future of Learning in the Construction Industry

5 Reasons Virtual Reality is the Future of Learning in the Construction Industry

Index

 Introduction

 VR is Improving Worker Safety

 VR Helps Trainees Develop Fundamental Skills

 VR Can Help Students Build Their Own Practice

 Students Can Learn By Playing Games in VR

 VR is Taught as a Core Skill

 Conclusion

Introduction

Construction is a field that requires workers to be not only knowledgeable about the latest technologies and best practices but also remain dynamic and adaptable to stay ahead of the curve.

As such, learning institutions worldwide have introduced numerous programs to train students in everything from coding and engineering to architecture and design. Virtual reality (VR) has served as a teaching medium for some time, providing learners with immersive experiences beyond what traditional learning can offer. With virtual reality technology continuing to advance at an accelerated rate, it’s no wonder that many construction-related fields are implementing its training procedures into their curriculums.

Here are five reasons virtual reality is the future of learning in the construction industry.

VR is Improving Worker Safety

Construction is a field highly dependent on safety. Unfortunately, one of the hazards of the job is that workers often receive inadequate and insufficient training before entering their first site.

These workers are then at an increased risk of injury, which can cost employers significant time and money. However, VR can be used to increase the safety of trainees and those in the field.

For example, industrial engineers tasked with designing worksites can now use VR to create virtual mock-ups of their designs, identifying potential hazards with the design before workers even enter the site.

VR Helps Trainees Develop Fundamental Skills

As mentioned, VR can create environments that would otherwise be impossible or unsafe to replicate. This allows students to develop fundamental problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in a safe environment.

VR is especially helpful for students who get easily frustrated or bored with the more typical exercises focusing on rote memorization and repetition. VR offers these students a chance to engage in immersive, dynamic learning that allows them to flex their creativity and apply their skills in multiple ways.

VR Can Help Students Build Their Own Practice

VR can help students build their practice. This can include everything from creating a virtual mock-up of their company's office space to building virtual models of reallife projects.

Such VR implementation is especially helpful for students interested in architectural design. With it, they can design buildings and experiment with virtual materials and finishes to see how they look and work in the design.

Students Can Learn By Playing Games in VR

Many students are gamers, and many games are developed specifically for VR. Because of this, construction students can learn by playing VR games.

This means, with VR, while construction students are having fun, they can also get hands-on experience, hone their skills, try out new design techniques, and experiment with different problem-solving approaches.

VR is Taught as a Core Skill

While VR proficiency is typically considered a skill, it can often be taught as a core skill. This means that VR can be integrated into many other skill-based courses, such as design and engineering, and can even be used as a teaching medium for subjects like math and physics.

As a core skill, VR can help construction workers analyze design decisions from different perspectives and manipulate variables like load and stress that are usually difficult to measure in scale models.

Conclusion

Indeed, virtual reality is the future of construction education. Students can learn in more engaging ways, and educators can help mitigate the boredom and frustration that often comes with learning new skills.

Construction students can also explore and experience things in VR that would otherwise be impossible or unsafe to do in real life. Don’t sit this out; integrate VR into your curriculum today.