Enhancing active learning by developing a virtual construction site visit game

Presenter: Cheng Zhang (Civil Engineering)

Key words: Technology-based active learning, 3D environment, Virtual construction site investigation game

A virtual construction site investigation game is developed in the present research project. 3D environment is built based on different construction sites that were visited by civil engineering students. Pictures are embedded to demonstrate realistic scenes, which were taken by students for different structures at different construction stages.Navigation and Interactions are developed to enable the students to explore the virtual sites freely and get instant feedback. Different modules are developed, which includes Questions and Tasks. Question module provides a traditional way to check how much the student mastering the knowledge by answering questions shown on the screen. Task module assigns different tasks to students, for example, to find a location where falling risk should be prevented, and what kind of prevention measures should be applied?

Unity, a cross-platform game engine, is selected as the main development platform for this research project. The architecture, mechanism and the implementation are described in detail in this paper. A pedagogical methodology for improving the quality of learning is thus developed by transforming traditional instructional delivery techniques into technology-based active learning. Students’ engagement in the learning process is improved by establishing a contextual connection between ordinary textbook materials and technologies that students use in their daily routines.

*This is a Teaching Development Fund project