Effectiveness of virtual reality in construction quality training: Comparative study

Although virtual reality (VR) technology has been used for training in various aspects of construction, the evidence of its effectiveness in construction quality training has yet to be examined. The current study develops a novel high-fidelity VR-based defect identification training module using minute details of construction defects to assess participants' learning experience for construction quality-related training vis-à-vis conventional classroom training. Actual quality-related defect data from two construction projects was classified, and selected defects were modeled to create three-dimensional (3D) objects in an interactive VR environment. A robust sample of 121 Indian civil engineering students were recruited and categorized into three cohorts: No Training, Classroom Training, and VR Training. The data from these participants - data from questionnaires on perceptions and conceptual knowledge and scores in an innovative VR-based defect identification testing module - were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. In a context with no previous empirical examination of VR-based education in construction quality, this study reveals that high-fidelity VR training improves participants' conceptual knowledge of construction defects. However, VR does not show a specific advantage compared to classroom training for conceptual knowledge retention, a finding that is attributable to the similarity in training materials between VR and conventional methods. Based on a robust methodology in the current study, these results amplify a somewhat limited perspective in the literature on the effectiveness of VR-based training and cautions against the potential overestimation of the effectiveness of VR for improvements in conceptual knowledge among study participants. The most significant contributions of this study lie in advancing the VR training literature, of which only a handful of studies have focused on assessing the practical knowledge gained by training recipients. Notably, this study reveals a 32.8% improvement in VR-based practical learning outcomes for the VR cohort compared to the no-training cohort, suggesting that VR could provide hands-on skills for navigating quality-related challenges in the construction industry.