Texas A&M Tests Virtual MEP Site Learning With Immersive Platform
Early findings suggest that construction science students learned as much from a virtual tour as from an in-person site visit.
Francis Hall is shown alongside its digital twin, which powers the Virtual Francis Hall platform used to simulate mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) site visits for construction science students.
Construction science students learn mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems best when they can see them in place, but those components often sit out of sight above ceilings, behind walls or inside secured rooms.
To expand access, Texas A&M University researchers in the Department of Construction Science built Virtual Francis Hall, an immersive online tour that lets students explore Francis Hall’s MEP spaces on demand.
Francis Hall, located on the Texas A&M campus, houses the Department of Construction Science and many of its classes. The building also supports instruction by design, with some areas that expose or highlight MEP components, allowing students to study real systems more easily than in many occupied buildings.
“The main challenge we have is how to bring site visits to students instead of requiring them to go to the site,” said Dr. Gilles Albeaino, assistant professor of construction science and director of the Construction Automation, Safety and Education (CASE) Lab.
Professor Jonathan Houston leads in-person MEP tours at Francis Hall, but locked rooms, safety requirements and tight schedules limit how often and how many students can attend.
Virtual Francis Hall gives students another way to study the same systems when an in-person visit does not fit the schedule.
Easy Access to Hidden MEP Spaces
The CASE Lab built the platform as a browser-based environment that follows Houston’s physical tour route.
Students can navigate through the building, examine equipment and revisit the content as needed. The tour also supports group learning, with tools that let students interact and collaborate during the experience rather than watch a prerecorded walkthrough.
Houston said the format removes a major barrier to scheduling site tours. “A huge advantage that a virtual tour has is that it’s open 24/7,” he said. “People could do that any day, anywhere in the world, as long as they have an internet connection.”
| Ready to Explore? Curious about immersive MEP site learning? You can explore the Virtual Francis Hall tour for free and open to everyone. Take the same interactive tour featured in the study at your own pace and from any location. Visit Virtual Francis Hall |
Researchers also tested whether the virtual experience supports learning outcomes. Houston delivered the same scripted tour in both formats to two groups of students, with about 30 students touring in person and about 30 students virtually. Students then completed the same 25-question assessment.
Early analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the groups’ scores, suggesting that students learned the same material effectively with either format.
Researchers also collected additional student feedback on the platform. “Many students described the tour as informative, interactive and enjoyable,” said graduate research assistant Mahzerin Sultana ’29. Several students reported that exploring Virtual Francis Hall helped them understand electrical systems more concretely, Sultana said.
The team is now developing an artificial intelligence (AI) agent to support student questions during the virtual tour. The tool will draw from Houston’s teaching materials, recorded visits and course content so students can get guidance when an instructor is not present.
“If this were just a virtual model without AI, students would lose the ability to ask questions and receive feedback,” Albeaino said. “That’s one of the most important parts of a site visit.”
Turning Site Learning Into On-Demand Training
The Virtual Francis Hall project is supported by a grant from the Construction Industry Advisory Council (CIAC), which connects the Department of Construction Science with nearly 500 partner companies.
Several industry partners have shown interest in using immersive environments for onboarding and safety training, where consistent instruction can help new hires learn procedures before they step onto an active jobsite.
“Imagine training workers anywhere in the country without needing them to travel,” Albeaino said. “That’s the future we’re building.”
Over the next six to 12 months, the CASE Lab plans to compare three instructional formats: physical site visits, the collaborative virtual environment and an AI-enabled version of the virtual site.
The team aims to identify where immersive learning works best and how it can expand access to the building systems students need to understand before they step onto a jobsite.
