Using Virtual Reality to Enhance Learning Performance and Address Educational Resource Disparities in Architectural History Courses

Field surveys are an important component of architectural history courses, but they are challenging for students with limited resources or geographical constraints. This paper aims to explore the potential of virtual reality (VR) technology as a solution to this problem by testing its impact on student learning performance in an architectural history course. Dule Temple, a heritage building, is used as a case study to construct a VR environment with options for ground-based or free movement modes. A total of 102 third-year architecture students participated in the study, experiencing the VR environment and completing a survey. From the results, the VR scene’s level of detail achieved high levels of satisfaction. For learning performance, the results present the remarkable interestingness and effectiveness of VR in architectural history education. VR provides a comprehensive learning experience, enhancing the understanding of historical context, architectural styles, and spatial relationships. These findings show VR’s transformative potential as an educational medium, complementing and, in some respects, surpassing traditional approaches such as field surveys, 2D materials, and physical scale models. However, the study emphasizes that VR should not entirely replace traditional teaching methods. Instead, combining the strengths of VR and conventional techniques offers a balanced and effective strategy for architectural education. VR offers a transformative approach to address the imbalance of educational resources and realize sustainable education.