Liepāja State Technical School is developing a learning tool for construction students and teachers that is unique in the Baltic States – an app for interactive learning. Using virtual reality glasses, it will be possible to immerse oneself in a construction site environment and perform various tasks. The process of preparing this innovative teaching material begins with filming at a real construction site using a 360-degree camera, following a pre-prepared script. The images are then processed for use in virtual reality glasses.
Kate Jēkabsone, project manager at LSTS: “First, a program has been developed for teachers on how to integrate these applications into the learning process. Second, a lot of filming has been done, and this process is moving forward with scripts, because the project involves developing 20 applications that will be integrated into the teaching modules. Each application has a script, and each script has pictures, videos, and texts at the bottom.”

The project is being developed in collaboration with partners from Finland, Spain, Austria, Croatia, and entrepreneurs from Latvia. One of the companies with which cooperation has been established is the construction company SIA “UPTK” with more than 30 years of experience. Video material was prepared at their construction site in Liepāja this week.
“This project is interesting and new, and we are delighted that young people are interested in the construction profession, as there is still a significant shortage of construction managers and engineers,” concludes Zigurds Kirhners, Chairman of the Board of SIA “UPTK”.

Daniels Brugevics, a student at Riga Technical University who was met at the construction site, says that such a learning tool could be very useful, because until now, while studying in this field, he lacked practical experience in a real work environment. That is why he switched to distance learning and now works at this company in parallel to gain practical knowledge. He als mentioned that sometimes there are moments when you study and see what the professors are teaching, and you understand the processes, but you want to see it in practice. It’s hard to imagine structures and reinforced concrete without seeing them in practice. I think this is very good work and valuable material for students to use.

Students from LSTS are also participating in the creation of the new teaching tool.
“Our students are involved in the project from start to finish, because they are the ones who suggested topics that might be interesting, they go along to the sites and watch how the filming and preparation of the material takes place, and they will also be the ones who test these applications,” says project manager Kate Jēkabsone about the involvement of the students.
Student Roberts Boroduško: “The opportunity to visit different sites. For example, we went to a site in Ventspils where they were building the foundations for a wind generator, and it was very impressive. It’s not your usual construction work. You couldn’t see it all in person, which is why it’s so interesting. In construction, this is a huge leap forward in learning. Many people, including myself, find it difficult to understand certain things just by hearing about them or looking at pictures.

Liepāja State Technical School believes that augmented reality tools such as these could also be used as teaching aids in other sectors.

The original article, including photos and a YouTube video of the TV report, can be accessed via the following link: https://retv.lv/izglitiba/liepaja-top-interaktiva-macibu-lietotne-buvniecibas-studentiem/