Project-based learning and pedagogies for virtual reality-aided green building education: case study on a university course

• Published in: International journal of sustainability in higher education 2023-06, Vol.24 (6), p.1308-1327
• Main Authors: Hou, Huiying (Cynthia), Lai, Joseph H.K., Wu, Hao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active Learning; Architecture; Building Design; Case Studies; Colleges & universities; Computer applications; Computer Simulation; Curriculum Design; Education; Educational Environment; Energy consumption; Environmental Education; Experiential Learning; Field Trips; Foreign Countries; Green buildings; Green development; Hospitality Occupations; Learner Engagement; Learning; Learning Activities; Learning Processes; Life cycles; Literature reviews; Project-based learning; Real Estate; Resource Materials; Student Projects; Sustainable Development; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Technology Integration; Universities; Virtual reality
• ISSN: 1467-6370; 1467-6370; 1758-6739
• DOI: 10.1108/IJSHE-06-2022-0197

Purpose Green building education, an important aspect of sustainability in higher education, has rapidly expanded across the world. Yet, a bespoke pedagogical model integrating the essential elements of green building knowledge into a university course is lacking. To plug this deficiency, this study aims to develop an innovative pedagogical model that incorporates four types of teaching activities, namely, lecture, virtual reality (VR)-aided site visit, physical site visit and practicum-based project. Design/methodology/approach Based on an extensive review of the relevant literature and course materials, a pedagogical model was constructed for application to the teaching and learning activities of a university’s hospitality and real-estate programme. Using a case study approach involving in-depth interviews with green building professionals and a workshop coupled with an online survey on building professionals, the model’s transformative effectiveness was evaluated. Findings The study finds that the pedagogical model was able to effectively equip students with the essential green building knowledge pertinent to the different stages of a building life cycle. Concerns about wider applications of the model, including barriers to implementation in other academic programmes and resources for updating the VR platform, were identified. Originality/value The VR-aided and project-based pedagogy model is novel and effective in delivering green building education. Future work, particularly expanding the VR platform to cover more green building cases, thereby allowing multiple case studies to be conducted, is recommended for illustrating further contributions and implications of the model.