iVisit-Communicate for AEC Education: Using Virtual Humans to Practice Communication Skills in 360-Degree Virtual Field Trips

Abstract

To prepare graduates for the dynamic and complex working environment in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, educational institutions have distinctly emphasized the significance of communication skills. Field trips are a widely utilized strategy to provide students with a situated learning setting where students can communicate with professionals onsite. However, several challenges limit the application of this strategy, and virtual field trips become a potential and promising supplement or alternative approach. This study discusses the pedagogical use of a virtual field trip experience augmented with conversational virtual humans - iVisit-Communicate - to produce realistic field trips for students to practice their communication skills. This virtual experience is supported by immersive computing (i.e., 360-degree virtual space) and conversational virtual human technologies. iVisit-Communicate simulates two types of communication to provide student-professional verbal communication opportunities: guided scenario and conversational scenario. The paper provides a detailed description of the technical and pedagogical development of iVisit-Communicate components followed by a student-centered experiment, focusing on measures such as system usability, sense of presence, and communication skills of students. The contribution of this study is to provide an in-depth understanding of the significance of integrating communication opportunities in virtual field trips and illustrate how such on-the-site opportunities successfully facilitate students' communication practices. © 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.