Journal of Information Technology in Construction
Journal of Information Technology in Construction
ITcon Vol. 30, pg. 1595-1615, http://www.itcon.org/2025/65
Impact of 360 VR storytelling on high school students’ understanding and decision-making towards a construction program
| DOI: | 10.36680/j.itcon.2025.065 | |
| submitted: | February 2025 | |
| revised: | September 2025 | |
| published: | September 2025 | |
| editor(s): | Purushothaman M B, GhaffarianHoseini A, Ghaffarianhoseini A, Rahimian F | |
| authors: | Jingyuan Shen, PhD student (corresponding author)
School of Building Construction, Georgia Institute of Technology ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1942-4447 jingyuan.shen@gatech.edu Jing Wen, Assistant Professor School of Building Construction, Georgia Institute of Technology ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9111-9378 jing.wen@design.gatech.edu | |
| summary: | Many roles within the construction industry, including construction management (CM) careers, are facing significant workforce shortages due to an aging workforce and a decline in the number of young professionals entering the field. An essential strategy to address this challenge is to engage younger generations, particularly high school students, and recruit them into CM career paths. However, many students have limited awareness and interest in the construction industry- often restricted to those with personal connections in the industry - highlighting the ineffectiveness of current recruitment and outreach methods. This study aims to supplement traditional recruitment strategies with a more targeted and effective approach that not only raises awareness of CM career paths but also encourages deeper learning and sustained interest among high school students. Specifically, this pilot and exploratory study explores the use of 360-degree virtual reality (VR) storytelling as an informal learning tool to enhance high school students’ understanding of a CM educational program, influence their decision-making regarding enrollment, and foster greater knowledge acquisition and engagement throughout their experience. The 360 VR storytelling experience was developed as an interactive video and shared on social media to attract high school students to a CM-oriented summer program. The video was uploaded two months prior to the start of the program. To assess the effectiveness of the storytelling experience, a mixed-method approach was employed, combining quantitative website metrics analysis with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews with thirteen high school students. The preliminary findings revealed that the 360 VR storytelling video effectively captured the student’s attention, maintained engagement, and drove enrollment decisions by offering an immersive preview of diverse learning scenarios. By examining the extent to which 360 VR storytelling experiences can inform students, guide their choices toward CM-focused academic pursuits, and improve their overall learning experience, this study provides insights into adopting innovative, technology-driven tools that not only attract and engage the younger generations, but also cultivate a well-informed, interested, and prepared future workforce for CM careers and the broader construction industry. | |
| keywords: | Construction education, Workforce development, VR storytelling video, Informal learning | |
| full text: | (PDF file, 0.643 MB) | |
| citation: | Shen J, Wen J (2025). Impact of 360 VR storytelling on high school students’ understanding and decision-making towards a construction program, ITcon Vol. 30, Special issue Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), pg. 1595-1615, https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2025.065 | |
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