Successful education for AEC professionals: case study of applying immersive game-like virtual reality interfaces

Farzad Pour Rahimian,Jack Steven Goulding,Tomasz Arciszewski

doi:10.1186/2213-7459-2-4

Abstract

Abstract Background Global competition and the transdisciplinary nature of evolving Architecture-Engineering-Construction (AEC) activities makes it progressively important to educate new AEC professionals with appropriate skill sets. These skills include the ability and capability of not only developing routine projects, but also delivering novel design solutions and construction processes (some of which may be unknown), to feasible, surprising, or potentially patentable solutions. For example, despite recent innovations in immersive visualisation technologies and tele-presence decision-support toolkits, the AEC sector as a whole has not yet fully understood these technologies, nor embraced them as an enabler. Methods Given this, this paper proposes a new approach for delivering education and training to address this shortcoming. This approach focuses on doing traditional (routine) work with creative thinking in order to address these challenges. This rationale is based on the principles of Successful Education as a new paradigm for engineering education, which is inspired by the Theory of Successful Intelligence, by the Medici Effect and Leonardo da Vinci’s Seven Principles. The paper presents the educating AEC professionals is presented the AEC sector. The Theory of Successful Intelligence and its three forms of intelligence (Practical, Analytical, and Creative), are supported by lessons learned from the Renaissance, including the Medici Effect and da Vinci’s Seven Principles. Results Based on these theoretical pillars, a new approach to educating AEC professionals is presented with a proof-of-concept prototype that uses a game-like virtual reality (VR) visualisation interface supported by Mind Mapping is introduced as an exemplar. Conclusion The developed interface in this study applies Game Theory to non-collocated design teams in accordance with Social Sciences Theory (social rules) and Behavioural Science Theory (decision making). It contributes by supporting new insights into AEC actor involvement, pedagogy, organisational behaviour, and the social constructs that support decision making.

Highlights

Global competition and the transdisciplinary nature of evolving Architecture-EngineeringConstruction (AEC) activities makes it progressively important to educate new AEC professionals with appropriate skill sets
Successful education Successful Education (Arciszewski 2009) is a new paradigm in design and engineering education. This paradigm was inspired by the latest developments in the modern cognitive psychology, especially by the Theory of Successful Intelligence (Sternberg 1985, 1996, 1997). This paradigm has been strongly influenced by a new understanding of historical and social mechanisms behind the emergence of the Renaissance, including the Medici Effect (Johansson 2004) and the Da Vinci Principles (Gelb 1998, 1999, 2004). (Arciszewski (2009)) argued that Principles are important because they provide a synthesis of all attitudes practiced by Da Vinci and by the other great Renaissance engineers
The aim of this study is to advocate the advantages of applying flexible, interactive, safe learning environment for practicing new working conditions with respect to offsite production (OSP) in general, and Open Building Manufacturing (OBM) in particular; without the ‘do-or-die’ consequences often faced on real construction projects (Goulding and Rahimian 2012)

Summary

Introduction

Global competition and the transdisciplinary nature of evolving Architecture-EngineeringConstruction (AEC) activities makes it progressively important to educate new AEC professionals with appropriate skill sets These skills include the ability and capability of developing routine projects, and delivering novel design solutions and construction processes (some of which may be unknown), to feasible, surprising, or potentially patentable solutions. In the European Union (EU) for example, it encompasses more than 2 million enterprises and approximately 12 million employees, representing 9.8% of the EU’s Gross Domestic Product and employing over 7.1% of the their creativity and developing inventions This resonates with thinking derived from innovation literature (Akintoye et al 2012). This is partly attributable to ‘inappropriate’ education that has historically focused on production, rather than creativity This is just the opposite of what happened in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, when designers and engineers were seen as the true 'drivers' of change. The construction of some monumental buildings during this period in history (e.g. Eiffel Tower, Villa Savoye, and The Bauhaus Building) created technological solutions, and cultural revolutions- leading to a fundamental change in the way design and engineering was perceived

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Methods

Results

Conclusion