Applications of Virtual Reality Technologies in Architecture and in Engineering

Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology which has various application fields (from video games to psychiatry). It is indispensable in critical simulation, for instance in military training, in surgical operation simulation, in creation of environments which could set off phobias (in psychiatry), or in realization of virtual prototypes, for instance in industrial design. The aim of this chapter is to present how the VR also finds excellent application fields in architecture and in engineering. For instance, in the teaching of the basic concepts, in techniques of graphic rebuilding for the building restoration, in realization of virtual visits inside buildings, and in urban generative processes simulated by computer. Another use of the virtual reality is in the introduction of a new kind of architecture: Virtual Architecture, strongly connected to the Information and Communication Technology (ITC), to the Internet, and in the virtual prototyping in engineering.

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Virtual Reality and Education

Virtual and Augmented Reality ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-5469-1.ch046 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 970-995

Author(s):

Nicoletta Melida Sala

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Learning Styles ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Virtual Objects ◽

Educational Environments ◽

3D Virtual Worlds ◽

Multimedia Technologies ◽

Learning Paths ◽

Application Fields

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology which combines hardware and software solutions. It permits to create three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds and virtual objects. This chapter describes how VR technologies find positive application fields in educational environments. VR, combined with multimedia technologies and in support of different learning styles, offers potential help in teaching and in learning paths. This chapter shows a set of examples in the applications of VR at different age levels schools, and in different countries (USA, Italy, Morocco, Romania, and Switzerland). VR, and their applications, are also described here.

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Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality in Education

Current and Prospective Applications of Virtual Reality in Higher Education - Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-4960-5.ch003 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 48-73

Author(s):

Nicoletta Sala

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Augmented Reality ◽

Learning Styles ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Mixed Reality ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Virtual Objects ◽

Educational Environments ◽

3D Virtual Worlds ◽

Application Fields

Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) are three different technologies developed in the last decades of the 20th century. They combine hardware and software solutions. They permit the creation of three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds and virtual objects. This chapter describes how VR, MR, and AR technologies find positive application fields in educational environments. They support different learning styles, offering potential help in teaching and in learning paths.

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Virtual Reality and Education

Emerging Tools and Applications of Virtual Reality in Education - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-9837-6.ch001 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 1-25 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nicoletta Melida Sala

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Learning Styles ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Virtual Objects ◽

Educational Environments ◽

3D Virtual Worlds ◽

Multimedia Technologies ◽

Learning Paths ◽

Application Fields

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology which combines hardware and software solutions. It permits to create three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds and virtual objects. This chapter describes how VR technologies find positive application fields in educational environments. VR, combined with multimedia technologies and in support of different learning styles, offers potential help in teaching and in learning paths. This chapter shows a set of examples in the applications of VR at different age levels schools, and in different countries (USA, Italy, Morocco, Romania, and Switzerland). VR, and their applications, are also described here.

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Methods for Assessing 3D Virtual Worlds in Design Education

Social Media and Networking ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8614-4.ch018 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 355-372

Author(s):

Leman Figen Gül ◽

Ning Gu ◽

Mi Jeong Kim ◽

Xiangyu Wang

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Collaborative Design ◽

Design Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

3D Virtual Worlds ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Changing Trend ◽

The Impact

With the advancement and increasing adoption of information and communication technologies, 3D virtual worlds, being a part of these revolutionary forces, have the potential to make a major contribution to design education as a new teaching and learning environment. Considering this changing trend, we have been employing 3D virtual worlds in the design curriculum over the past decade. To critically understand the impact of the technologies on design education, this chapter explores and demonstrates three different assessment methods of 3D virtual worlds in design education, through three case studies. The chapter also concludes with insights into the applications of virtual environments in collaborative design teaching.

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Virtual Reality as a Tool for Enhancing Learning in At-Risk Students and Increasing School Inclusion

Advances in Game-Based Learning - Handbook of Research on Collaborative Teaching Practice in Virtual Learning Environments ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-2426-7.ch013 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 242-257 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Silvia Panzavolta

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Virtual Environments ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Participatory Design ◽

At Risk Students ◽

Academic Failure ◽

School Failure ◽

Drop Out ◽

3D Virtual Worlds

The contribution aims at exploring previous and current practices of use of virtual environments, 3d Virtual Worlds also, for inclusion in education. There are many experiences of developing and using virtual environments for the inclusion of disabled and problematic students (autistic student, Asperger Syndrome students, dyslexic students, etc.). The majority of the experimentations gave important beneficial results. In particular, the essential technological characteristics of VR that are beneficial for inclusion are: immersion, presence, interaction, transduction and conceptual change. The design of those environments is sometimes conceived together with the final users, applying participatory design techniques. Virtual environments and Virtual Worlds are being used also in the management of drop-out rates and school failure, by using it for curricular diversification classroom with students in a situation of educational exclusion or academic failure. The contribution will discuss 7 cases of successful use of Virtual Reality at school, ranging from primary to secondary education.

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Methods for Assessing 3D Virtual Worlds in Design Education

Cases on the Assessment of Scenario and Game-Based Virtual Worlds in Higher Education - Advances in Game-Based Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-4470-0.ch005 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 152-174

Author(s):

Leman Figen Gül ◽

Ning Gu ◽

Mi Jeong Kim ◽

Xiangyu Wang

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Collaborative Design ◽

Design Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

3D Virtual Worlds ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Changing Trend ◽

The Impact

With the advancement and increasing adoption of information and communication technologies, 3D virtual worlds, being a part of these revolutionary forces, have the potential to make a major contribution to design education as a new teaching and learning environment. Considering this changing trend, we have been employing 3D virtual worlds in the design curriculum over the past decade. To critically understand the impact of the technologies on design education, this chapter explores and demonstrates three different assessment methods of 3D virtual worlds in design education, through three case studies. The chapter also concludes with insights into the applications of virtual environments in collaborative design teaching.

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Consumer trust in 3D virtual worlds and its impact on real world purchase intention

Nankai Business Review International ◽

10.1108/nbri-03-2015-0009 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 381-400 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Yan Peng ◽

Dan Ke

Keyword(s):

Social Presence ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Real World ◽

Virtual World ◽

Purchase Intention ◽

Content Type ◽

Online Trust ◽

3D Virtual Worlds ◽

Virtual Prototypes ◽

3D Virtual World

Purpose – This paper examines the three-dimensional (3D)virtual world users’ perceptions of authenticity and trustworthiness in the virtual prototypes and users’ potential purchase behavior in the real-world settings. The 3D virtual worlds provide a new platform that exhibits virtual prototypes as a promotion channel for new products of real-world and online service, where users can communicate “face to face” via their representative avatars. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted an experiment in Second Life and collected data in a post-study questionnaire to test our proposed conceptual model. Structural equation modeling was the main methodology. Findings – The research results showed that 3D virtual world users obtained a high sense of telepresence and social presence. The sense of telepresence positively leads to users’ perceptions of online trust in the virtual prototypes and thus increases their intention to purchase real-world objects; the users’ sense of social presence positively associates to their perceptions of authenticity and online trust and, therefore, their purchase intention. Research limitations/implications – In survey research, the common method variance is a problem. A more robust way is to use objective measures. Practical implications – A new channel was proposed for businesses to enhance their online strategies that will increase their business value. Social implications – 3D virtual world is also a cutting-edge platform for remote education, public information service, etc. Originality/value – This paper initially contributes to the literature that interprets underlying factors in 3D virtual worlds associated to purchase intention in real-world objects. We demonstrated the advantages, i.e. the communication efficacy and vivid virtual design in the 3D user-generated environment.

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Virtual Reality as a Tool for Enhancing Learning in At-Risk Students and Increasing School Inclusion

Virtual and Augmented Reality ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-5469-1.ch027 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 566-581

Author(s):

Silvia Panzavolta

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Virtual Environments ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Participatory Design ◽

At Risk Students ◽

Academic Failure ◽

School Failure ◽

Drop Out ◽

3D Virtual Worlds

The contribution aims at exploring previous and current practices of use of virtual environments, 3d Virtual Worlds also, for inclusion in education. There are many experiences of developing and using virtual environments for the inclusion of disabled and problematic students (autistic student, Asperger Syndrome students, dyslexic students, etc.). The majority of the experimentations gave important beneficial results. In particular, the essential technological characteristics of VR that are beneficial for inclusion are: immersion, presence, interaction, transduction and conceptual change. The design of those environments is sometimes conceived together with the final users, applying participatory design techniques. Virtual environments and Virtual Worlds are being used also in the management of drop-out rates and school failure, by using it for curricular diversification classroom with students in a situation of educational exclusion or academic failure. The contribution will discuss 7 cases of successful use of Virtual Reality at school, ranging from primary to secondary education.

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Virtual Reality Language Lab of Second Language Learning Based on J Bruner’s Discovery Learning and Self-Efficacy Theory—Literature Review and Solution Improvement

Journal of Innovation and Social Science Research ◽

10.53469/jissr.2021.08(07).30 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 162-170

Author(s):

Zhiyu Zhao ◽

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Second Language ◽

Language Learning ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Virtual World ◽

Discovery Learning ◽

Target Language ◽

3D Virtual Worlds ◽

Language Environment

Language learning has gradually involved innovative technology such as the use of 3D virtual worlds, which can enhance learners’ immersion through improved engagement with the help of their motivational components. Immersion in the target language environment for example English, Spanish, French and German environment provides maximum exposure to the communicative use, offering the opportunity to learners’ active creativity. Since real travel is expensive and impractical, virtual travel in the virtual reality language lab provides them a brand new opportunity. Adopting the literature research method, this paper aims to figure out the optimum time duration and time frequency for most language learners to spend in the virtual world. Based on Discovery Learning and Self-efficacy Theory, we tend to focus on the behaviors of the learner in the virtual world, such as how they express themselves in second language and acquire daily expressions with the help of Unity3D to design and develop 3D virtual worlds and the EEG (electroencephalogram) equipment to reflect changes in the neural representation of the task environment. In order to find a possible relationship between communicative activities and the learning theories of Discovery Learning and Self-efficacy Theory, correlative analysis and principal component analysis were performed. According to this research, we can effectively limit the time and frequency of the immersion in the second language environment and promote the efficiency.

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