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1. Performance-Driven VR Learning for Robotics

   Vassigh, Shahin; Bogosian, Biayna; Peterson, Eric (January 2024, Springer)

   Yan, C; Chai, H; Sun, T; Yuan, PF (Ed.)

   Abstract. The building industry is facing environmental, technological, and economic challenges, placing significant pressure on preparing the workforce for Industry 4.0 needs. The fields of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) are being reshaped by robotics technologies which demand new skills and creating disruptive change to job markets. Addressing the learning needs of AEC students, professionals, and industry workers is critical to ensuring the competitiveness of the future workforce. In recent years advancements in Information Technology, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have led to new research and theories on virtual learning environments. In the AEC fields researchers are beginning to rethink current robotics training to counteract costly and resource-intensive in-person learning. However, much of this work has been focused on simulation physics and has yet to adequately address how to engage AEC learners with different learning abilities, styles, and diverse backgrounds.This paper presents the advantages and difficulties associated with using new technologies to develop virtual reality (VR) learning games for robotics. It describes an ongoing project for creating performance driven curriculum. Drawing on the Constructivist Learning Theory, the affordances of Adaptive Learning Systems, and data collection methods from the VR game environment, the project provides a customized and performance-oriented approach to carrying out practical robotics tasks in real-world scenarios. 

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2. Sensing Technologies in Construction Engineering and Management Programs: A Comparison of Industry Expectations and Faculty Perceptions

   Ogunseiju, Omobolanle; Akanmu, Abiola; Bairaktarova, Diana (January 2021, Proceedings of 57th Associated Schools of Construction Conference)

   null (Ed.)

   The fast-growing adoption of sensing technologies in the construction industry has necessitated a demand for workforce with technical skills. This study explores the current state of sensing technologies in the industry and sensing technology education in construction engineering and management programs. The study investigates the agreeability of industry and academia’s perceptions of the integration of sensing technologies in construction engineering and management curricula. The study employs online surveys to capture industry and instructor perceptions of the skills required of graduating construction engineering and management students and the extent of sensing technology education respectively. Comparison of the survey responses reveals differences between sensing technologies and applications deployed in the industry and those taught in construction engineering and management programs. While reinforcing the need for technical skills in the industry, results provide highlights to well-structured sensing technology courses based on required competencies to prepare students for a relevant and successful career in the industry. 

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3. Revitalizing Students Perception and Knowledge of Construction Safety: Leveraging Virtual Reality as an Experiential Learning Tool for Construction Robotic Safety Education

   https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784485293.014  

   Ojha, Amit; Shayesteh, Shayan; Jebelli, Houtan; Akanmu, Abiola; Miller, Scarlett; Sharma, Priya (March 2024, Construction Research Congress 2024)

   Traditional lectures have difficulties instilling pragmatic skills in construction engineering students due to the inability to illuminate the complexities within the human-robot collaborative construction environment. While on-site can acclimatize construction students to reality and construct knowledge that can solve safety challenges, it is challenging to organize on-site training trips owing to the dangerous nature of construction workplaces. This research aimed to explore virtual reality (VR) as a tool to enhance students’ perception and knowledge of construction robotic safety. For this purpose, the study developed a virtual training platform for providing construction engineering students with safety knowledge on interacting with simulated robots within the virtual environment of construction sites. A self-assessment approach was leveraged among 20 recruited students to demonstrate the efficacy of students’ engagement and learning outcomes from the proposed learning approach over the traditional learning approach. Results indicated a statistical difference in students’ learning outcomes and engagement levels between the developed approach and the traditional approach. Findings demonstrated the implications of VR as an experiential tool to enhance the students’ learning of robotic safety in construction. 

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4. Mixed Reality Multimedia Learning to Facilitate Learning Outcomes from Project Based Learning

   https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784482865.017  

   Patil, Karan R.; Ayer, Steven K.; Wu, Wei; London, Jeremi (January 2020, Construction Research Congress 2020: Computer Applications)

   Tang, Pingbo; Grau, David; Asmar, Mounir E. (Ed.)

   Effective construction engineering and management education requires hands-on experiences that have not traditionally been offered in classroom settings. Physical building competitions like Solar Decathlon are valuable for providing experiential learning opportunities that may support tacit and explicit knowledge development among students, but they are often not available to all students due to funding and resource limitations. Less resource intensive teaching strategies, such as project based learning, can mimic the benefit of physical experiences by providing context to learning content. This paper reviews project based learning literature to identify trends in reported learning gains from the adoption of this strategy. Additionally, emerging technologies offer the ability to create low cost, immersive multimedia environments that may be able to support the types of learning targeted by physical design and construction experiences. Literature on multimedia learning theory is explored to identify opportunities for multimedia applications to facilitate learnings derived by physical educational contexts, but with the use of increasingly affordable multimedia strategies. This paper resulted in identifying six learning gains that have a theoretical potential to be facilitated using augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. The theoretical potential was deduced based on prior research on teaching strategies that provide real-world context to learning content. The authors of this paper propose using the identified learning gains as targets to specifically design implementation studies to verify this potential. The learning gains identified in the results section can be targeted and measured in future research when empirically validating the use of immersive technologies for construction education. The contribution of this work is in synthesizing the learning gains that future researchers should target based on evidence from prior research in related learning contexts. 

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5. Mixed Reality Multimedia Learning to Facilitate Learning Outcomes from Project Based Learning

   https://doi.org/https://doi-org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1061/9780784482865.017  

   Karan R. Patil, Steven K. (November 2020, Construction Research Congress 2020)

   Effective construction engineering and management education requires hands-on experiences that have not traditionally been offered in classroom settings. Physical building competitions like Solar Decathlon are valuable for providing experiential learning opportunities that may support tacit and explicit knowledge development among students, but they are often not available to all students due to funding and resource limitations. Less resource intensive teaching strategies, such as project based learning, can mimic the benefit of physical experiences by providing context to learning content. This paper reviews project based learning literature to identify trends in reported learning gains from the adoption of this strategy. Additionally, emerging technologies offer the ability to create low cost, immersive multimedia environments that may be able to support the types of learning targeted by physical design and construction experiences. Literature on multimedia learning theory is explored to identify opportunities for multimedia applications to facilitate learnings derived by physical educational contexts, but with the use of increasingly affordable multimedia strategies. This paper resulted in identifying six learning gains that have a theoretical potential to be facilitated using augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. The theoretical potential was deduced based on prior research on teaching strategies that provide real-world context to learning content. The authors of this paper propose using the identified learning gains as targets to specifically design implementation studies to verify this potential. The learning gains identified in the results section can be targeted and measured in future research when empirically validating the use of immersive technologies for construction education. The contribution of this work is in synthesizing the learning gains that future researchers should target based on evidence from prior research in related learning contexts. 

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