Development of Immersive Virtual Reality Framework for Improving Learning Process of Universal Design Concept: Case Study of Ramp Building
摘要
The universal design (UD) concept potentially addresses the construction industry’s need to elevate design standards to be accessible for all. However, the implementation of this concept is still hindered by the lack of understanding of the UD concept. With the emergence of immersive technology, virtual reality (VR) brings the features to facilitate the comprehension development toward individuals in many aspects, such as construction field. Nonetheless, there is still limited information about the use of this technology to develop the UD concept understanding. Therefore, this study aims to propose a learning framework for using immersive VR technology to support the learning process of the UD concept. This paper focuses on the application of principles and characteristics of the universal design within ramps in public buildings. This study starts with designing learning outcomes and then developing the UD learning framework and scenarios applied through VR technology, before developing the validation part. The VR application is designed for Oculus Quest 2, and simulations are assessed and validated by graduated students. The result concludes that the students have overall favorable results in their understanding enhancement toward the concept of the universal design feature of ramp building characteristics through the proposed immersive VR learning framework.