scholarly journals Immersive VR Modules for Construction Safety Education of Generation Z Students

10.29007/cbz2 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Azhar ◽  
Dongnyeok Han ◽  
Swarnali Ghosh Dastider

This research investigated the potential of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technology as an assistive teaching tool for construction safety and similar courses that require hands-on training. The most significant advantage of VR technology is creating real-life experiences without exposing the students to the dangers of a jobsite. Earlier studies recognized the need to develop customized VR content for construction safety courses that incorporates specific OSHA standards; hence, this study was conducted with a focus on this objective. After in-depth discussion with two construction firms, the research team identified three most needed areas for safety training namely confined space safety, scaffolding safety, and jobsite clean-up safety. A conceptual framework for VR content design, execution, and method of delivery was designed. Then a storyboard was created for each identified area to graphically depict the concept and workflow for the VR programing. Unity® gaming engine was used as the developing platform and VR modules were created for Oculus Go® head mounted display. Each module contained demonstration of the hazards and mitigation methods based on the OSHA standards. Questionnaire survey and SWOT analysis are used as tools to collect feedback and assessment data from undergraduate and graduate students and industry experts. The survey results indicate that the VR based safety education can play a positive role in improving students’ understanding, knowledge retention, and interest in the subject matter. It can help construction firms to conduct enhanced safety training without the need for physical mockups. The paper explains the strategies and lessons learned as well as provides directions for future research.

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3661
Author(s):  
Noman Khan ◽  
Khan Muhammad ◽  
Tanveer Hussain ◽  
Mansoor Nasir ◽  
Muhammad Munsif ◽  
...  

Virtual reality (VR) has been widely used as a tool to assist people by letting them learn and simulate situations that are too dangerous and risky to practice in real life, and one of these is road safety training for children. Traditional video- and presentation-based road safety training has average output results as it lacks physical practice and the involvement of children during training, without any practical testing examination to check the learned abilities of a child before their exposure to real-world environments. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a 3D realistic open-ended VR and Kinect sensor-based training setup using the Unity game engine, wherein children are educated and involved in road safety exercises. The proposed system applies the concepts of VR in a game-like setting to let the children learn about traffic rules and practice them in their homes without any risk of being exposed to the outside environment. Thus, with our interactive and immersive training environment, we aim to minimize road accidents involving children and contribute to the generic domain of healthcare. Furthermore, the proposed framework evaluates the overall performance of the students in a virtual environment (VE) to develop their road-awareness skills. To ensure safety, the proposed system has an extra examination layer for children’s abilities evaluation, whereby a child is considered fit for real-world practice in cases where they fulfil certain criteria by achieving set scores. To show the robustness and stability of the proposed system, we conduct four types of subjective activities by involving a group of ten students with average grades in their classes. The experimental results show the positive effect of the proposed system in improving the road crossing behavior of the children.


Author(s):  
Kim Jeffrey ◽  
Zornnetr Peesadech ◽  
Korlapati Soundarya ◽  
Sargsyan Nikolay ◽  
Akula Satish ◽  
...  

10.29007/xxf2 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia Saul ◽  
Syed Ahmed ◽  
Mostafa Namian

Construction and engineering careers place an emphasis on safety training. Although this knowledge is crucial to succeeding in one's field there is a lack of awareness with regards to the principle of safety culture. Within a psychological context, workers in a particular setting look towards others for social cues, and there are underlying social principles that determine whether social cues will be internalized, acted on, or ignored. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide an approach to advise trainers on underlying safety principles. The goal is for learners to internalize and act upon safe behaviors in the work environment. A pilot study was conducted interviewing four OSHA-authorized construction safety trainers. The participants were provided with a vignette activity and asked their opinion and experience. After the activity was complete, the participants rated their experience and provided suggestions for improvements. The vignettes were highly rated by the trainers and they suggested including additional vignettes, having the activity applied in various versions (group vs individual) as well as doing an at-home activity. Future research will work on improving safety behavior to be included in additional safety training.


Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Algan Tezel ◽  
Esra Dobrucali ◽  
Sevilay Demirkesen ◽  
Isik Ates Kiral

Construction is a hazardous industry. The project-based nature and fragmentation in the industry lead to change and uncertainty requiring special expertise. To handle those, construction firms must develop strategies and action plans along with the experience gained from lessons learned. Among the risks, safety risks are of critical importance leading to accidents. Hence, firms need to strengthen their safety programs, review their strategies for safety management, and develop effective safety training sessions to protect their workers. This study focuses on the success factors promoting safety performance. In this respect, a questionnaire was designed and administered to the Engineering News-Record (ENR) 2020 Top 400 Contractors. The questionnaire data was utilized in conducting a factor analysis to group and name the factors considering the total variance. The analysis of the factors resulted in six-factor groups; namely, project and firm-related factors, demographic factors, practical factors, motivational factors, organizational factors, and human-related factors. Project and firm-related factors were found to be the most essential factor group in terms of promoting the effectiveness of safety training. The results of this study are expected to guide industry practitioners in terms of reviewing and revising their safety training programs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Jing ◽  
Kieran May ◽  
Gun Lee ◽  
Mark Billinghurst

Gaze is one of the predominant communication cues and can provide valuable implicit information such as intention or focus when performing collaborative tasks. However, little research has been done on how virtual gaze cues combining spatial and temporal characteristics impact real-life physical tasks during face to face collaboration. In this study, we explore the effect of showing joint gaze interaction in an Augmented Reality (AR) interface by evaluating three bi-directional collaborative (BDC) gaze visualisations with three levels of gaze behaviours. Using three independent tasks, we found that all bi-directional collaborative BDC visualisations are rated significantly better at representing joint attention and user intention compared to a non-collaborative (NC) condition, and hence are considered more engaging. The Laser Eye condition, spatially embodied with gaze direction, is perceived significantly more effective as it encourages mutual gaze awareness with a relatively low mental effort in a less constrained workspace. In addition, by offering additional virtual representation that compensates for verbal descriptions and hand pointing, BDC gaze visualisations can encourage more conscious use of gaze cues coupled with deictic references during co-located symmetric collaboration. We provide a summary of the lessons learned, limitations of the study, and directions for future research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard ◽  
Wim Bernasco

Objectives: The widespread use of camera surveillance in public places offers criminologists the opportunity to systematically and unobtrusively observe crime, their main subject matter. The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader of current developments in research on crimes caught on camera. Methods: We address the importance of direct observation of behavior and review criminological studies that used observational methods, with and without cameras, including the ones published in this issue. We also discuss the uses of camera recordings in other social sciences and in biology. Results: We formulate six key insights that emerge from the literature and make recommendations for future research. Conclusions: Camera recordings of real-life crime are likely to become part of the criminological tool kit that will help us better understand the situational and interactional elements of crime. Like any source, it has limitations that are best addressed by triangulation with other sources.


2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-69
Author(s):  
Shamas-Ur-Rehman Toor

Management from Islamic Perspectives (MIP) is an emerging field that has begun to attract scholarly attention. However, the research undertaken so far has been rather fragmented and lack a clear agenda. This paper presents a literature review of the field and the areas of current focus. Although the field has a huge growth potential, I argue that it faces several challenges and problems as it develops further. I outline these potential pitfalls, suggest how to develop MIP as a formal discipline, and explain how to integrate it within real-life business practices. The article closes with a call for research to be conducted in a more organized fashion through an international consortium of researchers as well as recommendations for future research directions.


Based on personal accounts of their experiences conducting qualitative and quantitative research in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, the contributors to this volume share the real-life obstacles they have encountered in applying research methods in practice and the possible solutions to overcome them. The volume is an important companion book to more standard methods books, which focus on the “how to” of methods but are often devoid of any real discussion of the practicalities, challenges, and common mistakes of fieldwork. The volume is divided into three parts, highlighting the challenges of (1) specific contexts, including conducting research in areas of violence; (2) a range of research methods, including interviewing, process-tracing, ethnography, experimental research, and the use of online media; and (3) the ethics of field research. In sharing their lessons learned, the contributors raise issues of concern to both junior and experienced researchers, particularly those of the Global South but also to those researching the Global North.


Author(s):  
Sasha Harris-Lovett ◽  
Kara L. Nelson ◽  
Paloma Beamer ◽  
Heather N. Bischel ◽  
Aaron Bivins ◽  
...  

Wastewater surveillance for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging approach to help identify the risk of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. This tool can contribute to public health surveillance at both community (wastewater treatment system) and institutional (e.g., colleges, prisons, and nursing homes) scales. This paper explores the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from initial wastewater surveillance efforts at colleges and university systems to inform future research, development and implementation. We present the experiences of 25 college and university systems in the United States that monitored campus wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 during the fall 2020 academic period. We describe the broad range of approaches, findings, resources, and impacts from these initial efforts. These institutions range in size, social and political geographies, and include both public and private institutions. Our analysis suggests that wastewater monitoring at colleges requires consideration of local information needs, sewage infrastructure, resources for sampling and analysis, college and community dynamics, approaches to interpretation and communication of results, and follow-up actions. Most colleges reported that a learning process of experimentation, evaluation, and adaptation was key to progress. This process requires ongoing collaboration among diverse stakeholders including decision-makers, researchers, faculty, facilities staff, students, and community members.


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