Virtual Reality-Based Pedagogical Framework for Design Education

The field of design education is vast, necessitating a combination of theoretical and practical teaching methods. Finding the best solution to a complex design problem requires the application of precise tools and appropriate methodologies. With so many distinct design approaches in use, it is crucial for a designer to have conceptual clarity and thorough understanding of these approaches to achieve the intended design outcomes. This entails ensuring that aspiring designers are adequately informed about design methodologies and know when and how to apply them. This study investigates the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a teaching tool at the conceptual design stage for novice designers. Virtual reality and augmented reality have begun to be used in a variety of fields, thanks to advancements in immersive technology and computing infrastructure. To help design students strengthen their fundamentals by visualising concepts and reducing the likelihood of confusion due to the lack of model-based learning, this study focuses on using VR to help them learn various design methodologies. It also guides the students in applying these methodologies strategically for optimal and effective results. The final solution is a smartphone-based VR app that integrates artificial intelligence and can be used with google cardboard to give students an immersive learning experience. This VR app—developed using insights from forty-eight survey responses—can help students visualise a complex design principle in a highly immersive and lucid way. Moreover, by looking at the ideas and models from a range of viewpoints, designers and students can generate highly creative designs and manage the complexity of the design problem in an elegant manner.