A systematic review and analysis of the viability of virtual reality (VR) in construction work and education

TL;DR

This systematic review assesses the effectiveness of virtual reality in construction education and practice, highlighting its potential to improve learning outcomes and operational efficiency through immersive simulations.

Contribution

It systematically compiles and evaluates existing evidence on VR applications in construction, providing a comprehensive analysis of its viability and impact.

Findings

VR significantly enhances learning through immersive simulations

VR improves understanding of complex construction processes

Limited but growing evidence supports VR's practical benefits in construction

Abstract

This systematic review explores the viability of virtual reality (VR) technologies for enhancing learning outcomes and operational efficiency within the construction industry. This study evaluates the current integration of VR in construction education and practice. Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, this review analyzed 36 peer-reviewed journal articles from databases such as the Web of Science, ERIC, and Scopus. The methodology focused on identifying, appraising, and synthesizing all relevant studies to assess the effectiveness of VR applications in construction-related fields. This review highlights that VR significantly enhances learning by providing immersive interactive simulations that improve the understanding of every complex construction process, such as structural elements or tunnel-boring machine operations. This review contributes by systematically compiling and evaluating evidence on using VR in construction, which has seen a limited comprehensive analysis. It provides practical examples of how VR can revolutionize education and work.