Applications of Virtual and Augmented Reality Technology to Teaching and Research in Construction and Its Graphic Expression

Abstract

Immersive virtual reality (VR) technology is constantly evolving and is used in various fields of work in our daily lives. However, traditional methodologies are still mostly used in education. There is a disconnect between education and the world of work, and future professionals need to be updated to new working methods in order to be able to compete in the labour market. The main objective of this study is based on testing the effectiveness of digital didactic resources in the teaching–learning process, as well as providing students with the digital competences to use these tools. The methodology generated by the research team in the development of architectural projects has been applied in teaching workshops with experimental and motivating strategies for students using accessible digital teaching resources that allow autonomous learning. With this we have proven the effectiveness of the method and the opportunities it offers us in education. The results obtained have been twofold: on the one hand we have increased the interest and motivation of the students by making them participants in their own training, and on the other hand we have started a fruitful path in the generation of repositories with virtual didactic content that allows us to provide greater accessibility to knowledge.

1. Introduction

Nowadays, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) techniques and technology are constantly advancing and developing, and are being incorporated into many areas of our daily lives [1].

More and more architectural projects are incorporating this technology for the development and execution of projects, with multiple utilities from the architectural survey of complex historical buildings to the visualisation of the project once the work has been executed. For this reason, the need has been detected for new professionals to be familiar with and know how to use these technologies. Nowadays, this is not being taught in the educational sphere, which generates a distance from the new trends in the world of work.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to generate new educational and cultural resources that were not dependent on physical presence, which makes it very difficult to transmit knowledge and content, especially in the more practical subjects such as architectural drawing or architectural construction.

As a result of these circumstances, there are more and more initiatives in which inverse virtual reality (IVR) technology is being incorporated into educational contexts.

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) in education has the potential to transform the way students learn and engage with content. With this technology, two main environments are generated: the user’s environment (in the classroom, if we are talking about education) and the virtual environment, highly realistic, interactive [2] and generated by the teacher; allowing the virtual environment to be safe and controlled so that students can practice and experiment in a more practical and meaningful way without fear of negative consequences [3,4]. For example, in areas such as engineering or architecture, students can explore and manipulate virtual models without the risk of damaging real structures.

This allows teachers to transmit knowledge in a more engaging way and to encourage students’ interest in learning, improving learning outcomes [5]. On the other hand, they acquire competences in the use of new tools that are becoming more and more widespread in professional fields, so that educational and work paths converge on the same path.

One of the main advantages of IVR in education is its ability to improve student engagement. By immersing themselves in virtual environments, learners feel more motivated and emotionally connected to the content. This can result in a higher level of participation and attention during lessons, which in turn can lead to better knowledge retention. By creating interactive simulations and virtual environments, educators can immerse students in immersive learning experiences. This can facilitate the understanding of abstract concepts and complex theories by allowing students to interact with them in a more hands-on and visual way.

This education based on virtual spaces has adopted different pedagogical approaches to involve students in their education [6]. This is the case of learning by doing (LBD), problem based learning (PBL) and active learning (AL) [7].

This promotes flexible, more personalised learning and allows students to approach challenges at their own pace, review concepts or repeat activities as needed, which can lead to better understanding and mastery of topics [8].

This technology allows us to generate new cognitive and sensory experiences by overcoming the spatial and temporal limitations of traditional classrooms. Students can travel virtually to historical places, explore remote geographical environments or interact with objects and phenomena that are beyond the possibilities of a conventional classroom, thus guaranteeing universal access to education, culture and, ultimately, knowledge from anywhere in the world [9,10].

Although the technology has advanced significantly in recent years, there are still technical challenges to overcome. Northwestern University has conducted a study on the use of VR in the architecture and engineering education system, showing significant potential to improve student learning, enhance creativity, improve visualisation of complex designs and facilitate understanding of concepts. However, obstacles related to cost and rapid technological evolution pose a barrier to the implementation of this system for educational institutions with limited budgets [11,12].

Another significant aspect is the need for specialised training for both students and teachers [2,13].

Another study developed and tested an augmented-reality-based assessment tool to assess the hazard recognition skills of construction management students and found that it outperformed traditional paper-based and computer-based assessments in terms of effectiveness and student preference. The study highlighted the potential of immersive technologies to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world of construction to improve safety training [11].

Another study based on the use of this technology was developed at the School of Architecture and Engineering at the University of Nebraska, where they conducted a practical application, where students were able to experience, recognise and interact with hazard scenarios in simulated environments similar to what they would encounter on a real construction site, allowing them to assess the risks and hazards of the scenarios and propose solutions to them. The results of the study showed that this didactic tool outperformed traditional paper-based and computer-based assessment methods in terms of effectiveness and student preference [14].

In addition, Whisker et al. studied the use of 4D CAD modelling and immersive virtual reality to enhance students’ understanding of projects and construction drawings [15], allowing students to grasp more quickly the construction process of buildings and their facilities. Although there are several initiatives for the use of virtual reality in the educational system, there is no standardization or specific application for education that could revolutionize the way students learn in the future. These conditions led to the financing of a teaching innovation project by the University of Extremadura, which consisted in the insertion of VR and AR technologies in teaching and to evaluate the results obtained. This project has been developed in the Polytechnic School of Cáceres, based on the experience of the research and teaching team in the use of virtual reality technology, which has allowed them to generate a catalog of 3D models of architectural and archaeological elements used for their work activity and which is also intended to be used as resources for teaching the subjects of the Degree of Building, Graphic Representation and Architectural Construction [16].

With this project, activities, workshops and works have been carried out using a new didactic methodology with the support of the latest generation of tools and devices, as well as digital platforms that promote the dissemination of knowledge throughout the world [17]. With the aim of training future professionals every day to be as competitive as possible in the workplace.

The project contemplates immersion in virtual environments, which consists in establishing direct brain–machine communication. This connection requires a “virtual space” where the only limits are the capacity of the computer platform, the quality of the VR glasses and, most importantly, that the available content offers great possibilities of interaction with the user.

This is why there is a demand for teachers who know how to use these tools to design learning environments with the ability to take advantage of the different spaces where knowledge is produced (Unesco, 2004). In our case the research and teaching team has great experience with this method.

This method is very useful not only for building students but also for students of other disciplines such as history, archeology, civil engineering, medicine, etc. [18,19,20,21,22,23] since the models not only show what is there but we can interact with them, incorporating palpable information for the user in the form of written data and photographs. Additionally, we can go a step further in this modeling and produce virtual reconstructions from what is there that serve to facilitate the understanding of our students.

This method of training at the university will enable students to acquire deeper and more stable knowledge over time by integrating this experimental part into the learning process.

In order to insert technologies into education successfully, it is necessary to make a methodological change when involving students in their own learning. With the development of this proposed method, it is not intended to change the educational method completely, but to enhance the method that each teacher uses from the possibilities that these technologies offer to search and access information, interaction and collaboration, thus expanding the class beyond the boundaries of the classroom. New strategic lines are opened in teaching, starting from the usual practices in face-to-face teaching, which can be adapted and planned to a virtual format and thus achieve a universalization and democratization of access to education and culture [24]. These original proposals to motivate today’s students are a challenge in teaching because they pose alternatives to traditional teaching. These alternatives are neither better nor worse, they are always complementary to the traditional ones, but absolutely necessary as a transversal training for future technicians.

2. Hypothesis

The development of this research is the beginning towards the implementation of a digital educational method using the immersive environment offered by virtual reality, where the teacher can pose challenges to students in a practical and controlled way. This teaching innovation initiative is based on the needs and premises that the research team has detected in its teaching activity in the Building Degree of the University of Extremadura. On the one hand, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the professors of the subjects with more practical content in the Building Degree had difficulties planning online classes and practical activities. On the other hand, it was detected that some students had difficulties in handling digital tools, which hindered online learning and polarized the teaching–learning system among students. Currently, the trend in the workplace is the digitization of architectural projects as a method of collaborative work among professionals. The research team, composed of teachers at the University of Extremadura, has extensive experience in the working method for the development of projects, which has led to use of it in teaching activities. With these premises, this research has been proposed with the aim of using digital technologies in the teaching–learning process, allowing teachers to create digital resources to renew the teaching method, taking advantage of the great benefits that immersive virtual reality offers. In addition, students will be able to familiarize themselves with the use of tools while they study and learn the educational contents of the teaching plan within the subject. The development of this research is the beginning of the implementation of a digital educational method using the immersive environment offered by virtual reality. With this method, the teacher can pose practical and controlled challenges to the students, which allows a more enriching learning experience.

3. Objectives

The objectives set for the development of this project have been oriented to respond to the situation described above, which have served to define the didactic contents and the methodology applied to each of the activities and workshops. We have set three clear objectives, which are as follows (Figure 1):

Objective 01: To generate didactic content from virtual models, for use in both classroom and distance teaching. VR and AR allow the student to be transported to new contexts and situations, and therefore, with these technologies we can apply more effective pedagogical methodologies such as learning by doing, problem-based learning and active learning.

Objective 02: To teach students to use digital tools and resources to be more competitive in the workplace. This type of technology is increasingly used in many areas of work as a tool for exposure and dissemination. This project aims for students to acquire these digital skills so that their work can have a greater projection in the labor market.

Objective 03: To transmit the results of the use of technologies as an educational resource, exposing its advantages and difficulties, as well as the method to be followed for implementation in other areas. The project has a pioneering character within the University of Extremadura in order to open new paths, with the aim of achieving a more active and experiential teaching methodology by the students.

4. Materials and Methods

For the implementation of this teaching innovation project, a series of training actions have been developed to test the method and act as a starting point for the implementation of training through digital technology. This work method has multiple applications both in education and in the workplace.

With the different actions, the students have been taught an agile, fast and sustainable workflow, with the use of basic tools, which allows us to generate optimal results with multiple useful applications in both professional and educational fields (Figure 2).

This method covers the knowledge of reality, with data collection by laser scanner or drone, and then performs the survey by photogrammetry, this step is not always necessary, and it would only be used for buildings or parts already built. Subsequently, data processing and modeling of what we are interested in showing or teaching the students is carried out. Finally, a virtualization of the model must be performed, and information and data that the teacher deems appropriate will be introduced to generate digital teaching resources according to the content being taught. This method has a wide range of possibilities and utilities as we will see below with the workshops and activities that have been developed in the context of this teaching research project.

The actions carried out were as follows (Figure 3).

The implementation of this work system in teaching has been proposed through conferences and workshops framed within the teaching innovation project, which is a pioneer for the University of Extremadura. All the workshops have been taught with a pedagogical approach in which the teacher takes on the role of mediator and the student is the protagonist of his learning, which encourages participation, cooperation, creativity and reflection on the planned task [25].

In this aspect, the workshops taught are a practical example of active learning, and the student constructs meanings from the content. On the one hand, the student approaches the task in a meaningful way, starting from the student’s own interest and motivation to address the challenges posed by the teacher [26]. For this, they must have a predisposition to work in a team, be flexible, proactive and autonomous, but above all, constantly reflect throughout the whole process.

On the other hand, the teacher can create complex learning environments, where activities constitute knowledge in environments of social and personal interaction, encouraging collaboration, reflection, analysis and criticism with the ability to make the most of the different spaces where knowledge is produced (Unesco, 2004).

With this method, on the one hand, the student acquires the didactic contents proposed in the subjects of the Building Degree but also has a direct application in the degrees of other subjects (as we will see in the workshops developed). On the other hand, the student transversally acquires competences in the mastery of digital resources and tools introducing them to the trends and technical and technological advances that are being developed in the field of research and labor.

4.1. Organization of the Actions

Each of the actions developed in the project have been developed with sequential activities in which the contents are presented gradually. First, the teacher has generated didactic content using digital tools and platforms. In this way we are promoting a new paradigm in teaching where the presence of the teacher would not be necessary. These resources are public and accessible to all users who require them. Secondly, these didactic contents have been used in a teaching practice where the student interacts with them, and they help to understand the concepts, ideas and contents of the subject. However, if we want this method to be useful and have continuity in the future, it is necessary that the student learns to create these digital didactic contents and, in this way, besides acquiring digital competences, the students participate in the teaching–learning process of their current and future colleagues. Finally, the results of the workshops are exhibited and disseminated, thus generating virtual teaching content on an open platform so that professionals, researchers, teachers and students can access them free of charge from anywhere in the world.

4.2. Actions Developed

Action 1: Generation of digital didactic resources to promote online and autonomous learning.

In this case, the digitalization method has been applied to the field of engineering, construction and architecture. The objective in this case is the modeling of real construction details in order to understand them spatially and contextualize them with the rest of the construction system.

The workshop has been given to the students at the Polytechnic School of Cáceres. The students will create their own contents and examples with the motivation that these works will have an impact in the future at a labor level but also at a formative level for future generations.

(1)

Search of documentation and information of different constructive encounters. In this case each student will look for a real building or civil construction and will analyze the constructive solutions of the same (Figure 4).

(2)

Each student then replicates the detail with a three-dimensional modeling using the SketchUp tool, which has been previously explained to them with basic training.

This tool is very intuitive and versatile and has allowed the students to obtain basic three-dimensional objects from day one, thus ensuring that the student is rewarded with very visual and immediate results from the very first moment. Other very interesting tools which need to be highlighted for their high degree of implementation in the market include Tinkercad or FreeCAD. Both the latter two as well as Sketch Up are free and equally recommendable because of the easy learning curve that will ensure the user’s interest (Figure 5).

In this sense, we are providing students with a competence in the use of tools that will be useful in the workplace in the future, while they internalize the contents of the construction course.

(3)

Virtualize the model and disseminate it.

The model is prepared and exported in open formats to be introduced in a digital platform so that we can create a repository with different construction details and the information related to them (Figure 6). The student will have the feeling of contributing to a work that will have repercussions in the future at a teaching, scientific and labor level. However, they will also be taught the usefulness of what they have done.

At a pedagogical level, these projects that we have proposed allow teachers to promote the development of student competencies and their own professional training. In this case, on the one hand, we have worked the contents of the subject of construction into the learning process, but on the other hand, we have also transmitted to the student, in a transversal way, competences in the use of digital tools and resources that will be useful for the labor market in the future. This way of working follows the method of “project-based learning (ABS)” [27,28,29]. That is, we as teachers have posed a series of challenges that the student has been solving through a process of research while generating content to later make them known to their peers (dissemination).

Relevant and sustainable learning is developed through cultural exchange with the shared creation of culture in multiple directions to implement a more active education focused on “know-how” [30].

Action 2: Learning through digitization and replication of the non-visible built reality.

The development of the capture, processing and digitization protocol was conducted by the research team taking as an object of study the built architectural heritage. This method is highly optimized by the large number of professional and research projects developed by this team [20,31,32,33,34,35,36]. With this workshop, in addition to disseminating and teaching the workflow, we have also been able to test the compatibility of file formats and digital model processing to adapt it to our needs, material, size, resolution, etc. The purpose of this workshop has been to assess and standardize the workflow from a “digital twin” of high resolution obtained by photogrammetry to a physical model (output formats obj, 3ds, stl, etc.) and to be able to materialize our heritage by bringing our monuments to as many people as possible through “maker” technologies. In this case, this workflow is extrapolated from the professional to the academic field, integrating it into the training of the students at the Polytechnic School (specifically in the Building Degree).

For this training we have started by using a project that was already carried out, by taking a digital copy of a section of the wall of Cáceres between the Almohad towers of the southwestern wall in Cáceres. (This execution project was carried out by the architects Isabel Bestué Cardiel (team leader), Carmen Cañones Gallardo, Rosario Carmona Campos, Pablo Alejandro Cruz Franco, Adela Rueda Márquez de la Plata and Javier Chaves Quesada). The data capture in this case has been carried out by combining point clouds obtained by SfM (with images acquired from UAV) and clouds obtained by TLS digital instruments, and the result is a parametric three-dimensional model [37]. It is a high-quality model of the city canvas, and we can say that it has been obtained through a low cost and accurate “smart workflow”. Based on this work, material has been generated for teaching students in this aspect, and they can work on a data capture executed by a third party. The workshop consisted of processing the “twin” that has been provided to them, using Rhino7 3D software. From this program we have assembled and refined the three-dimensional mesh. We have focused on the environment of the wall, and we have modeled the terraced houses in a simplified way.

Once this first modeling phase was completed, we proceeded to divide the digital copy into fragments according to the physical limit imposed by the printer model we used (form 2), which was 145 × 145 × 175 mm. A total of 24 cuts were planned as shown in the diagram below (Figure 7).

In the schematic there is an area in blue that represents the environment a little further away from buildings. This area was created using the laser cutter. It was simplified from the plot of the Historical Center. Each student worked on his part of the model, and it was essential that each piece work properly and in collaboration with their peers’.

This work among the students has been very fruitful and profitable, since during the group work process, learning synergies are generated among the students who contribute a vision, theories and approaches from different points of view depending on the training they are receiving. We work in a transversal way to raise awareness of good practices to ensure the conservation and dissemination of heritage.

This team-based approach to teaching has sought to generate student learning through collaboration and participation among the heterogeneous group of students. Working to achieve a common goal has led to the creation of environments in which they have helped each other and formed interdisciplinary relationships with colleagues from other areas, solving the difficulties and challenges that have been encountered [38].

Action 3: Testing of the method for research in other related areas.

The main objective of this workshop is the 3D digitization of small pieces that are part of the geological heritage, to document them exhaustively but also to generate a digital repository that allows us to access it from anywhere in the world. In this case, the workshop was given to students and teachers of Geology, demonstrating that the method is not only useful and effective in architecture, but also works and can be used in other academic and professional fields (Figure 8).

The protocol of the 3D digitization of reality through photogrammetry has been applied to the specific case of fossils, taking as the object of study a cruziana ichnofossil that is at risk of being lost; currently located in the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara geopark declared a World Geopark by UNESCO in 2011. This method is very adaptable to any situation, in this case it is necessary to take into account the necessary parameters for the capture in the open air.

The method to be followed and the way it was taught was as follows:

(1)

Capturing data by means of photographs with a camera (

Table 1. Camera parameters and settings.

Camera Parameters
Focal	11
ISO	100

).

(2)

Digitization by photogrammetry with Agisoft Metashape Professional 1.7 software.

a.

Image alignment;

b.

Generation of sparse point cloud;

c.

Dense point cloud generation;

d.

Mesh and texture generation.

(3)

Export of the model in OBJ format, and dissemination of the model through the Sketchfab platform.

From a pedagogical point of view, this workshop has been designed so that students work independently. As teachers, we have provided the information through a manual and we have also set up a real situation or work with real fossils that have been provided by the laboratory of the Faculty of Geology of the University of Extremadura.

Firstly, as the student will be working with the fossil for a period of time, they are encouraged and motivated to look for information on and the characteristics of the piece, generating a learning situation based on research and consultation of data and information on an autonomous level.

In this case, a methodology based on “Learning and Service (L + S)” has been proposed, which is based on the integration of the learning process into the service in order to provide real solutions to a community problem [39]. With this approach we have succeeded in making students aware of the importance of preserving natural and historical assets (as in the case of fossils) but we also help to encourage involvement and participation [40] to contribute to the preservation of this heritage that we have in our country.

With this method, we develop a link between the educational contents of university education and this service experience [41].

In this case, the virtualisation of fossils in the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark, we contribute to the generation of a 3D digital catalogue of the different pieces being perfectly documented and registered, so that in the case of them suffering any damage or fortuitous deterioration we can continue to count on the footprint and geomorphic data that each one provides. We are also initiating a process of generation of didactic resources, where the dissemination of the models will help teachers and students of the Faculties of Geology, Palaeontology, etc. to observe them, study them and investigate them worldwide.

5. Results

With the development of this teaching innovation project, we have obtained very fruitful results on several levels.

At a particular and specific level, with the realization of each workshop we have obtained the following concrete results that demonstrate the success of each training.

5.1. Results Obtained from Action 1: Generation of Digital Teaching Resources to Promote Online and Autonomous Learning

With this workshop for architecture students, we have taught the contents of the subject of construction where students have created construction details and have promoted the dissemination of their own work freely without losing authorship. To do this, the models developed in the classroom are being uploaded to an internet repository (in this case Sketchfab: construction repository) so that other students or teachers can use them for free in their training through traditional visualization methods, AR or VR and can even replicate the printing processes.

Below, we can see some of the 3D models elaborated by the students and placed in the Sketchfab repository (Figure 9).

These details will serve future generations by allowing them to study and visualize the construction details in an interactive way, helping the understanding of the construction process. In this case we could see them in augmented reality (AR), with the help of a mobile device (phone or tablet), or in virtual reality (VR) the student would be able to go into the detail and be able to see each of the encounters (Figure 10).

5.2. Results Obtained from Action 2: Learning through Digitization and Replication of the Non-Visible Built Reality

With this workshop we have managed to raise awareness among architecture and history students that the digitization of heritage is essential. Throughout history there have been hostile situations for the survival of the same: conflicts, natural disasters, tourism is changing our way of relating to the planet, and development and climate change are destroying our cultural heritage at an accelerated pace.

At the teaching level, working with students with new tools and technologies and involving them in the development and creation of content has fostered interest and involvement in the subject.

Finally, after the workshop we have managed to obtain:

(1)

A digital model with free access, which promotes and contributes to the creation of the catalogue of digital models of heritage elements (Figure 11).

(2)

From this model, each person can print the 3D models (Figure 12).

5.3. Results Obtained from Action 3: Testing the Method for Research in Other Related Areas

This workshop served as a pilot test to involve other profiles of students and teachers in the area of geology, and thus explained how to digitize fossils to create an online repository. With this action we contribute to preserving and maintaining all the existing fossils in a good state of conservation, but it also allows us to disseminate and make them known. They are transported from wherever they are, to the classroom or to each student’s home with the help of AR and VR technology.

After this pilot experience for the University of Extremadura, it was possible to teach students and teachers the working method using an ignofossil as a test object. This work opens a new line of research, and these students and teachers will put into practice what they have learned and apply it to the fossils found in the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark.

With this workshop the results obtained have been twofold: on the one hand, a door has been opened to apply the digitization method in a field other than architecture, generating a workflow that we have proven to be effective. This implies that new profiles can be trained in this method and in the future contribute to generating catalogs of elements of different nature, as with the fossils in this case. In addition, a new research path is also initiated, having as a field of study the UNESCO World Geopark Villuercas-Ibores-Jara.

For now, the workshop has digitized and generated the ignofossil model (Figure 13), which has served as a test bench and as the beginning of this digital field that will serve to make this heritage accessible from the point of view of science and research, but also from the didactic and educational point of view.

After carrying out these actions at the general level of the teaching innovation project, we can conclude that we have obtained the following results in response to each of the objectives that were previously set out in the project.

Corresponding to Objective 1, we have obtained virtual teaching resources useful for the subject of construction and graphic representation. These resources have been created by the teachers and even by the students since they were made the protagonists of their own learning. These didactic resources have served as a test bench to assess the effectiveness of these learning resources and have shown that the same content raised in the didactic programming of the teacher in the previous year and explained by the traditional method was allocated 23 days, while with the virtual reality method applied, this project was allocated 17 days: this being a better use of time. The second objective was to train students in the use of tools and technologies, working at a transversal level throughout the process, in which the student had to make use of these tools to solve the challenges that were posed to them. With this method of work, the students have had greater involvement and more time to perform the exercises than they did using the traditional method; additionally, their satisfaction and motivation has increased, thereby increasing their interest in the subject. Thanks to the dissemination of the results of this teaching innovation project, we have managed to make both teachers and students aware of the great potential of this technology, resulting in a greater demand for this training by students. The rest of the teachers have positively valued the importance of documenting and digitizing knowledge in order to take a step forward to the universalization and accessibility of the same, which will allow both the teaching and research communities to be able to virtually visit pieces and places that are in other parts of the world, and taking advantage of the technological advances that are being made every day.

We already realized, with the COVID-19 pandemic, that the teaching content of higher education needed a major update, both methodologically and in the management of tools, not only when teaching classes but also when motivating and accompanying students in their learning.

In terms of training, we have sown a small seed for the implementation of this educational methodology to become effective in our university; demonstrating that, thanks to the great adaptability of the method to different concerns, and the great versatility and usefulness both at the educational and the labour level, this methodology makes the education that students receive very enriching and high quality.

6. Discussion

With this educational method that we have exposed in this article, and that we have begun to implement in the academic world of the University of Extremadura, we open a door to a more digital and sustainable teaching than we have had so far and contribute to minimizing the current gap between traditional teaching and the world of work and the digital development market that have developed enormously in recent years; having experienced a great leap since the pandemic. The teaching innovation project established a methodology in the design of the learning process in the field of architecture, since the teachers detected some needs that promoted a change in the method of teaching [42]. We must take into account that architecture is currently evolving from the point of view of design and construction, which sometimes makes it difficult to understand with traditional 2D planimetry, and there are more and more projects where new tools are used to document and understand buildings [31,43]. One of the most important difficulties that we detect in the day to day in the Degree in Building, is the lack of spatial vision in the students at the beginning of their career, which they gradually acquire throughout the years of the career. With this virtual reality system, students acquire this spatial vision more quickly. When it comes to making construction details, one of the great difficulties that we find is that the student is not able to visualize in three dimensions the connection between the different elements and materials. By making small 3D models, they can visualize it through augmented reality, which allows us to overcome this difficulty and to be able to teach them more content related to the subject being explained, since they are able to understand it more quickly [44,45].

Another problem that has been detected, not only in the field of architecture but in general in all other areas, is that recent graduates have to face a labor market where the management of new virtualization and digitization tools are highly valued, and therefore have to be updated to be as competitive as possible. With the implementation of these tools, we would be breaking the gap that exists between the educational and professional world, and therefore we saw the need to provide the opportunity to disseminate the method and teach it in other areas. Specifically, the different techniques and technologies that are being used in the working world for the development of their professional work and that, until now, were not being included in their training and affected them negatively [46,47].

Teachers and even students learn to represent in 3D those concepts, elements and parts related to the educational contents of the subject they are studying, and transfer them to VR and AR tools, jointly generating didactic contents and disseminating them at a university macro scale in such a way that a repository with free and open access can be created at a national and international level, which can be used both at a professional and academic level. These representations go beyond the generated 3D models themselves, constituting a source of products that enhance the accessibility and understanding of the subject matter at different scales of knowledge, allowing researchers, teachers, students and even the general public to approach these contents and generate learning through experimentation and curiosity [2,13].

From the point of view of sustainability, we consider that it is necessary to generate a context of democratization in the access to culture and knowledge, allowing the ability to visit any place or observe any object from anywhere in the world. [48].

To use augmented reality, it is only necessary to have a mobile device or tablet which today is very internalized in our society. On the contrary, to use virtual reality, it is necessary to have access to tools whose cost is very high for public and private institutions that want to provide this service to society. In this line, VR immersion rooms should be implemented in museums, libraries, universities, etc. and provide this free access service to society to break the barrier that can generate technological and economic resources.

The implementation of virtual reality in the educational system has several limitations that must be taken into account. Here are some of them:

–

Regarding cost, although a priori with reduced and economic resources we could carry out small activities, carrying out a complete implementation in the educational system can become costly, both in terms of hardware and software. In addition, the constant evolution and updating of this technology can make its widespread adoption in educational institutions difficult.

–

Another factor to consider is student access to virtual reality devices, which can generate inequalities in access to educational opportunities. Schools seeking to implement this technology must ensure that all students have equal opportunity to participate.

–

To effectively use virtual reality in the classroom, teachers must receive appropriate training and professional development. Many educators may be unfamiliar with the technology and may require additional time and support to effectively integrate it into their teaching. This is why the implementation of this system should be introduced as an additional and supportive tool to traditional educational systems.

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Limited educational experience. Although virtual reality can provide immersive and visually stunning experiences, there are still limitations in terms of educational content. Creating quality and relevant content for virtual reality requires additional time and resources. In addition, some subject areas may be difficult to teach exclusively through virtual reality, limiting its applicability to certain educational topics. There is a lack of standardization and specific applications to be used in the educational system, but little by little progress is being made and initiatives are emerging every day that pave the way towards an education and culture accessible from anywhere in the world.

Despite these limitations, virtual reality still has great potential in education. With the advancement of technology and the overcoming of some of these challenges, it is possible that virtual reality will be increasingly integrated into classrooms and provide enriching learning experiences.

As future lines of work, this “digital” repository is a living library: like everything on the Internet, it can be improved and expanded, so that in the near future students will be encouraged to improve and expand these digital models of construction details, incorporating extra information: photographs, descriptions, diagrams, etc., in short, everything that we believe can serve to provide a quality library.

At this point the project considers two ways of transfer, teaching and academic.

By teaching we understand that, both for the teachers involved and for the teachers who participate in the dissemination sessions, it will be a great opportunity to learn new transversal learning methods that will serve to update their contents or, at least, to implement them significantly in an attractive and graphic way for the students.

From the point of view of academic transfer, the project contemplates the transformation of the student body in the face of this type of subject and, therefore, of professional challenges. To this end, we believe that the project will make students more “self-efficient” and more autonomous in their learning through much more visual and closer resources.

7. Conclusions

Once developed, the actions contemplated in the teaching innovation project, in which the main objective was to assess the effectiveness of these digital resources based on time, economy and the acquisition of student learning, we can determine that:

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When generating the educational content in each of the workshops, it has been a very fruitful work, since these resources represent the beginning of the creation of a library to which other initiatives carried out by other universities can be added in successive years. With these types of activities, we are working in a transversal way on the acquisition of digital skills while promoting the student’s spatial vision and the construction process of buildings. With these activities we have seen an improvement in the educational performance of students, their motivation and involvement are greater because they are curious about these new procedures.

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With respect to the technological limitations, it is true that if these initiatives were implemented it would require a large investment; however, for the development of this project we have used the university’s own hardware and software, and with these few resources we have achieved very good results. In addition, when making small didactic resources, such as small construction details, small-scale architectural pieces, or even for urban elements, the scale has been adjusted and divided into small fragments, thus we have solved the disadvantage of having to use very powerful technological devices. These small resources can be visualized with AR from the students’ own cell phones.

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On the other hand, the research and teaching team that has carried out this project already had previous knowledge of this work method, and it is true that this required self-training and self-research for many years. However, if this is introduced little by little in our system of higher education, the time will come when these tools will be of daily use and management.

As a summary, the development of this teaching innovation project has been very profitable. From having detected a lack that already existed and that was evidenced with the COVID-19 pandemic, in which a paradigm shift was necessary in the educational methods that were currently being applied, the research and teaching team has been able to incorporate a method, that is currently being used in the professional field, as transversal skills to teaching that substantially improved the capabilities of students: To date (mostly) students had not worked with 3D models (capturing reality) or 3D printers (replicating reality), so we have no doubt that these new skills will help our technicians in future academic and life projects. For our part in the classroom, we will continue repeating this activity and improving it in the coming years (Figure 14).