TOWARDS A DIGITALIZED APPROACH IN ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION IN ETHIOPIA WITH A FOCUS ON VIRTUAL REALITY.

Ethiopian universities and architectural students were affected by the outcome of COVID 19 (Pandemic). This a time for rapid responses to an environment that no longer safe, or it is a radical moment, a call to rethink everything. In order to this Technology has repeatedly transformed particularly how architects are communicating. Ethiopian Architectural fields shall be forced to review their design processes to develop teaching and working methods that enable them to adapt to the current situation of architectural communication (2021G.C). Ethiopia architects and other stakeholders are communicating with the adoption of 2D, then 3D computer-aided design, and also students learn with the help of a teacher’s soundtrack, literature, and in some courses existing in real site. Those methods are not enough at 21 centuries and also It has a health risk in existing in real sites. Especially the time of COVID 19. Moreover, it has risk in existing in real sites to assist Destruction of the historical site and also costly and time-consuming. (Maghool et al., 2018) was investigate the new situation of virtual reality technologies for architects, it is making projects more efficient, increase innovation, increase productivity, increase collaboration. The virtual reality system enables users to physically walk around objects and touch those objects as if they were real. The researcher Investigate architectural education in Ethiopia that allows us to adapt to the current digitalized situation especially Virtual Reality, evaluate to what extend the educational benefit of applying Virtual Reality in architecture in Ethiopia. The study conducted was based on a mixed-methods approach using concurrent procedures. In this method, the researcher collects both quantitative and qualitative data at the same time during the study and then integrates the information in the desiccation of the overall results. The research adopted an Exploratory Approach as it started with a Checklist, Observations, Self-administer Questionnaire, and Workshop. This study focuses on The researcher had been selected architectural schools in “Top 34 Universities in Ethiopia 2020 Ethiopian University Ranking” Specifically at Dire-Dawa University, Arba Minch University, Wollega University, Bahir Dar University, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, as a sample of architectural school in Ethiopia. As a sample of architectural school in Ethiopia. In every five universities, 60 – 73 respondents were interviewed. Statistically, a response rate of 96% was obtained, the outcome of the studies indicates the appearance of VR education tools in Ethiopian architectural schools is still restricted. Based on This the researcher enables the exploration of why and how to improve it. However, Ethiopian Architectural schools have to adapt to the current situation of rapid changes in technology, especially virtual reality. Technology has repeatedly transformed particularly how architects are communicating. The result Direct Options offer from traditional tools for presenting extra, video, audio, and pictures while exploring the 3D model of the details is an outstanding feature by VR. Key words: Architectural education; Digitalized situation; Virtual reality; COVID 19; Communication; Rapid changes in technology