الفهرس 
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Abstract
Technology is constantly evolving every day and has radically changed the way societies behave and operate. These technological advancements have brought enormous benefits – dramatically highlighted in 2020 by the emerging use of remote learning worldwide to overcome the lockdown measures. Virtual reality (VR) is considered one of the innovative technologies that have been widely applied in different fields, such as medicine, education, gaming, architecture, and many other sectors. Precisely, VR applications are promising in the field of architecture and urban design education and require investigations, however research on the effective use of VR in architecture education is still limited.
This thesis aims to investigate and contribute knowledge that emphasizes the usability and successful implementation of VR technology in architecture and urban design education in order to put hands-on the potential benefits of VR as an interactive learning tool while highlighting the obstacles and the barriers imposing the propagation of the tool in this domain. The research has adopted the case study approach as a prior step of investigation. Three-different case studies were selected to generate an in-depth understanding of the implementation of VR applications in architecture and urban design education: (1) a COVID-19 case study; (2) an international case study; (3) a Local case study.
Moreover, the use of virtual reality is examined in detail by reviewing extracted articles from the Scopus Database under the Title/Abstract/Keyword field search using the following keywords: (“Virtual Reality” or “VR” AND “Architecture Education” AND “Urban Design” AND “Design Studio”). A bibliometric analysis is carried out focusing on identifying and analyzing scientific production on VR applications in architecture and urban design education. A questionnaire, interviews, and group discussions were conducted later in order to assess the collected data from the review phase of the research, in addition, to putting hands-on the obstacles opposing the tool from propagation.
This study has identified the potential benefits – attributes – of VR as an architectural teaching and learning tool in order to implement it as a complementary tool besides the ongoing tools. The conducted study was done in order to accommodate the new generation of learners by updating the traditional teaching media with the new emerging technologies. Further outcomes of this research can be illustrated through the identification of the key factors that contribute to the failure of implementation of the VR-technology in education despite its benefits in order to be addressed in future research.
Findings have also elaborated on virtual reality as a medium that creates an efficient design process that allows the exploration of the design proposals to evaluate their decisions before submission or execution through a virtual walkthrough, which is considered a plausible solution that saves money, effort, and time. Moreover, findings have also highlighted the tool’s special ability to create a sensorial-rich environment that allows a better understanding of the key spatial attributes. VR also provides ways to adapt to e-learning practices known for being the new normal raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. The identified failure factors have been associated with a lack of guidance and assistance, lack of financial resources, lack of assets and resources, missing VR in curriculum and learning outcomes, lack of collaboration, and others. Findings provide valuable insights for researchers, educators, and practitioners on integrating Virtual Reality (VR) in architecture and urban design education to improve the teaching and learning process.
Due to the constant evolution in VR technology, further research is needed to track the constant changes in future applications. In addition to including further exploration and evaluate the “Metaverse” applications in architecture and urban design education. Further work must address the identified obstacles to facilitate the implementation of the tool in education. It is also recommended to investigate the ergonomic workspaces for architecture instructors and students while applying the VR technology and provide a guideline that will eventually enhance the teaching and learning experience.