Evaluating the Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Construction Safety Training and Lessons Learned

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) is often used as a training tool and research widely supports successful student performance in assessment scores when VR training tools are used. Experiential learning mimicked in virtual simulations has been found to significantly improve student's retention of new topics. However, some construction related topics do not improve when using VR. This study involved the creation of a construction excavation safety program that was administered using a VR headset. The researchers piloted the VR safety simulation as a controlled experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of VR reinforced learning as compared to presentation slides that are traditionally used for learning. A significant improvement was not evident in the results. The researchers undertook a further examination of elements of the virtual simulation to ascertain potential areas for improvement that could be used in future iterations of this study. The examination found that the participant's interactions with elements of the virtual simulation were essential as perceived by the participants. Furthermore, the study found that while realism was not a mandatory requirement for the VR simulation, the participant's interactions with characters in the VR training program did have some perceived negative impact. Additionally, motion (walking) within the VR simulation was a significant distractor for the participants. Considering these challenges, the researchers present their findings in this paper as a precautionary guide for further development of similar VR training tools.