Technology-Driven Serious Games and Simulations for Construction Management Education

Serious games and simulations differ from other forms of gaming in that their primary goal is education rather than entertainment. The face-to-face, analog format has gained popularity as an effective pedagogical strategy due to its benefits in providing hands-on experience and creating enjoyable moments for learners. In recent years, there has been a call from the construction industry to expand the scalability and geographic reach of education and training programs. To respond to this, there is greater potential for technology-driven serious games and simulations. Several questions need to be addressed regarding technology-driven serious games and simulations: (1) whether they can produce similar or even better learning effectiveness compared to the physical format, (2) whether adopting advanced technologies affects learning, and (3) what design and development attributes are specifically crucial. This research investigated the potential of technology-driven formats as a means to offer significant learning benefits. The marshmallow target value design simulation was selected as a test bed and converted into two variants of technology-driven formats: computer based and virtual reality (VR). The three formats, physical, computer based, and VR, were tested with 38, 32, and 30 participants, respectively. The results indicated that the VR format has similar effectiveness to the physical format, whereas the computer-based format is inferior to these formats. It turns out that ease of use and usability moderate the learning effectiveness of the computer-based format but do not impact the VR format. Also, analyses on design and development attributes indicated that the computer-based format needs additional consideration compared to the VR and physical formats. This research contributes to new knowledge on the quantitative effects of technology-driven serious games and simulations and the efficacy of different design and development aspects for future education game developers, designers, and instructors in the construction industry. © 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.