Journal of Information Technology in Construction
Journal of Information Technology in Construction
ITcon Vol. 30, pg. 1896-1911, http://www.itcon.org/2025/77
Enhancing engineering education on circular economy in water systems leveraging mixed reality
| DOI: | 10.36680/j.itcon.2025.077 | |
| submitted: | August 2025 | |
| revised: | December 2025 | |
| published: | December 2025 | |
| editor(s): | Amor R | |
| authors: | Yu-Chen Lee, Ph.D (corresponding author)
Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7479-9968 yuchenlee@utexas.edu Fernanda Leite, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, Joe J. King Professor Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7789-4474 fernanda.leite@utexas.edu | |
| summary: | The traditional linear economy model of water resource management, which follows a take-make-use-dispose pattern, is increasingly inadequate in meeting the rising demand driven by population growth and climate change. In contrast, the circular economy, which emphasizes the repeated use of water, has been proposed and advocated as a promising alternative over the past few decades. Nevertheless, research endeavours have yet to reach the public in an efficient way, resulting in a gap of public engagement in circular economy adoption. With advancements in computing power, this study investigates the potential of mixed reality (MR) technology to enhance learning about circular economy in water systems, focusing on engineering students. The authors compared the MR-based learning approach with conventional learning methods leveraging a proposed quantitative workflow. Fifty engineering students participated in a controlled experiment to assess learning outcomes. The findings significantly highlight the effectiveness of MR with 27.1% improvement of assessment scores, surpassing the 11.5% improvement gain from the traditional learning approaches. This research underscores MR’s potential in translating complex ideas into more accessible format. Future research will expand participant diversity and apply MR to other sectors, enhancing public understanding and adoption of circular economy concepts. | |
| keywords: | mixed reality, circular economy, Microsoft® HoloLens 2 | |
| full text: | (PDF file, 0.75 MB) | |
| citation: | Lee Y-C, Leite F (2025). Enhancing engineering education on circular economy in water systems leveraging mixed reality, ITcon Vol. 30, pg. 1896-1911, https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2025.077 | |
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