Interactive learning opportunities
Anyone who has been in education in the last couple of years won’t have failed to notice the dramatic increase in technology use in and out of the classroom. But it’s not just education that has been revolutionised by new technologies as we featured in a previous article, the world of TV and film is increasingly using gaming software to provide ‘scenery’. It’s perhaps not a surprise, then, that technology is also being used to offer realistic careers related experiences, too. We look at one innovative scheme operating in Wales to give potential construction industry recruits a taste of the job.
Convert (which stands for Construction Virtual Environment Resource Training) is the name for this programme and it includes key virtual experiences, including:
The Working at Height experience, which uses the latest VR hardware and software to provide a true-to-life experience of working at height, specifically on and around scaffolding. Scaffolders need excellent hand-eye coordination, as well as the ability to understand technical drawings and plans. The programme enables learners to test these skills by constructing and inspecting scaffolding components as if they were on site.
CWIC’s Wood-ed augmented reality workbench lets you experience four different types of machines; a band saw, rip saw, joiner and shaper safely with no risk of injury! Again, it allows students to experience what it would be like to make construction components like window-frames or skirting board using fastmoving equipment, which can help develop selfconfidence for using the real machines.
Rotor Pilot is the drone software, designed specifically around the use of drones in construction. For example, to visually inspect chimneys and towers without the need for scaffolding. The software enables learners to explore a number of modules, from the principles of basic flight to more technical, industry-related tasks.
The Virtual Built Environment Element Explorer (VBEEE) software allows students to explore and experience the construction process by assembling a variety of different buildings virtually. Once complete, the software then allows you to compare the sustainability performance and build costs, great training for the architects, quantity surveyors and site managers of the future.
Hands up, who fancies a go at piloting a virtual reality drone? Are you brave enough to try the virtual reality working at height experience? Or how about exploring VBEE, software that is used to build buildings virtually?
Not only do these virtual experiences make a career in construction more accessible, but the ongoing development and building of these and similar tools requires digital and programming skills that are evolving rapidly and in high demand.
No, these aren’t new computer games, they are real tools developed by CWIC (the Construction Wales Innovation Centre) to give students experience of real construction situations. Using virtual and augmented reality, students can climb scaffolding, operate a band-saw or use a paintsprayer as part of CWIC’s Immersive Learning programme: a real taste of construction related jobs without the risk of injury.
For more information on CWIC’s Convert programme and to find out how you can book your virtual experiences contact Julie Evans on 01792 481273 or email julie.evans@uwtsd.ac.uk