Virtual Construction Simulator: Improving Design and Construction Engineering Education with Virtual Reality

该项目将培养学生对建筑环境进行可视化的能力，这是设计和建筑工程教育所要求的一项关键技能。土木工程和建筑工程专业的学生通常通过审阅二维CAD图纸和制定关键路径法(CPM)时间表来学习分析项目设计和计划施工。随着计算机显示技术的最新进步，现在可以将我们的学生放置在一个大型、身临其境的投影显示器中，使他们能够体验和试验建筑项目的3D、全尺寸虚拟原型。这种先进的视觉交流可以显著提高学生在审查可施工性设计和规划复杂建筑和基础设施项目建设方面的理解、学习和积累经验的能力。沉浸式模型还将帮助学生提高他们的可视化技能，使他们更好地准备在3D中解释和可视化2D图形。这项拟议项目的目标是通过在沉浸式虚拟现实环境中使用交互式建筑项目学习模块来改善建筑和基础设施设计和施工方面的工程教育。项目团队将开发虚拟施工模拟器(VCS)，使学生能够沉浸在3D施工项目中，对设计进行详细分析，并制定施工项目计划。施工计划将包括施工方法选择、活动排序、活动持续时间定义、临时设施选址和项目进度计算。在学生完成设计分析和施工规划练习后，他们将能够审查结果并将其呈现给他们的同龄人和教师。VCS的使用将对宾夕法尼亚州立大学建筑工程和土木工程专业的工程教育质量产生直接影响。该项目的广泛影响将是四方面的。首先，它将丰富设计和建设基础设施和建筑项目的工程师的教育。这将提高全国未来建筑项目的效率、安全和保障。其次，它将在低成本的虚拟现实展示中展示VCS和案例研究项目。这些工具将提供给其他大学，以便更多的学生和教职员工可以使用这一拟议项目中开发的学习模块，并分享根据项目模板开发的新案例研究。第三，这个项目将通过详细评估选定的案例研究项目对我们学习目标的影响，增加在沉浸式虚拟现实环境中使用主动学习练习的教学价值的研究。最后，改善的可视化能力发展和参与式学习环境应该会提高对工程学科优秀学生的吸引力和留存力。该项目将通过清楚地展示应用这些先进的可视化工具的教育价值和首选方法，为未来的VR工程教育应用提供一个模式。

This project will foster student's ability to visualize the built environment is a critical skill required in design and construction engineering education. Students in Civil and Architectural Engineering programs typically learn to analyze project designs and plan their construction by reviewing 2D CAD drawings and developing Critical Path Method (CPM) schedules. With recent advancements in computer display technology, it is now possible to place our students within a large-scale, immersive projection display that allows them to experience and experiment with a 3D, full-scale virtual prototype of a construction project. This advanced visual communication can significantly improve the ability of students to comprehend, learn, and gain experience with reviewing designs for constructability and planning the construction of complex building and infrastructure projects. The immersive models will also help students improve their visualization skills so that they will be more prepared to interpret and visualize 2D drawings in 3D.The goal of this proposed project is to improve engineering education in building and infrastructure design and construction through the use of interactive construction project learning modules in an immersive virtual reality environment. The project team will develop a Virtual Construction Simulator (VCS) that will allow students to immerse themselves into a 3D construction project, perform a detailed analysis of the design, and develop a plan for constructing the project. The construction plan will include construction methods selection, activity sequencing, activity duration definition, temporary facility locations, and project schedule calculation. After the students complete their design analysis and construction planning exercise, they will be able to review the results and present them to their peers and instructors. The use of the VCS will make an immediate impact on the quality of engineering education at Penn State in Architectural Engineering and Civil Engineering. The broad impacts of this project will be fourfold. First, it will enrich the education of engineers who design and construct infrastructure and building projects. This will improve the efficiency, safety and security of future building projects nationwide. Second, it will demonstrate the VCS and case study projects in a low cost VR display. These tools will be made available to other universities so that more students and faculty can use the learning modules developed in this proposed project and share new case studies developed from the project templates. Third, this project will add to the research on the pedagogical value of using active learning exercises in an immersed VR environment through a detailed assessment of the impact of selected case study projects on our learning objectives. Finally, the improved visualization capability development and engaging learning environment should improve the attraction and retention of top caliber students to engineering disciplines. This project will provide a model for future VR engineering education applications by clearly showing the educational value and preferred methods for applying these advanced visualization tools.