An official website of the United States government
Architectural Engineering (AE) programs typically offer programs of study in at least two subdisciplines that relate to building design and construction. AE students may struggle to select a subdiscipline due to their low exposure and engagement with topics that would inform their decision. Previous research indicates that the immersive nature of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) can increase students’ engagement and motivation regarding course content and discipline decisions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a pilot browser-based virtual reality intervention on first-year AE students’ understanding of the AE subdisciplines and choice for future study, with particular attention to demographic subgroup differences. This pilot was a testbed for a larger set of Virtual/Augmented-Reality-Based Discipline Exploration Rotations (VADERs), which are instructional modules that engage students in authentic AE tasks. In Fall 2020, the pilot VADER-1 module was incorporated into first-year AE courses at one R1 university and one R2 historically black university. This module encouraged students to explore AE subdisciplines through the virtual design of a clinic. Pre-post intervention surveys were used to investigate change in students’ understanding of AE and its subdisciplines. Students reported that their subdiscipline understanding increased significantly. Further, 74% of students reported an increase in their confidence in their choice, and over 30% of students changed their top subdiscipline choice. Some slight differences between demographic subgroups were found. VR/AR interventions hold promise for providing AE students with needed exposure to the practice of the discipline and its subdisciplines.
more »
« less
Use of Virtual Reality to Improve Engagement and Self-Efficacy in Architectural Engineering Disciplines
This Innovative Practice Full Paper presents findings from the implementation of a virtual reality-based learning module. In the Fall of 2020, a prototype for a novel intervention namely, Virtual/Augmented-Reality-Based Discipline Exploration Rotations (VADERs), was offered as part of the first-year Introduction to Architectural Engineering (AE) classes at two universities. VADERs will ultimately be a collection of modules that are designed to improve student engagement and diversity-awareness by providing interactive virtual explorations of an engineering discipline and its sub-disciplines. VADERs utilize an open source, device-agnostic, and browser-based three-dimensional Virtual Reality (VR) platform, creating unique accessibility, synchronous social affordances, and media asset flexibility. The conjecture explored in this paper is: Having first-year engineering students experience Architectural Engineering and its sub-disciplines through an interactive VADER module, will improve their self-efficacy in regards to their commitment to studying the discipline. A total of 89 students participated in the VADER pilot in Fall 2020. Complete data was collected from 67 of these participants in the form of pre- and post- surveys, and final project deliverables. Results tied to the hypothesis and recommendations for future related work are discussed.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2202290
- PAR ID:
- 10358191
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Use of Virtual Reality to Improve Engagement and Self-Efficacy in Architectural Engineering Disciplines
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 7
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
The significance of practical experience and visualization in the fluid power discipline, highly tied to students’ success, requires integrating immersive pedagogical tools for enhanced course delivery, offering real-life industry simulation. This study investigates the impact of using virtual reality (VR) technology as an instructional tool on the learning and engagement of 48 mechanical engineering technology (MET) students registered in the MET: 230 Fluid Power course at Purdue University. An interactive VR module on hydraulic grippers was developed utilizing the constructivist learning theory for MET: 230 labs, enabling MET students to explore light- and heavy-duty gripper designs and operation through assembly, disassembly, and testing in a virtual construction environment. A survey consisting of a Likert scale and short-answer questions was designed based on the study’s objective to evaluate the students’ engagement and perceived attitude toward the module. Statistical and natural language processing (NLP) analyses were conducted on the students’ responses. The statistical analysis results revealed that 97% of the students expressed increased excitement, over 90% reported higher engagement, and 87% found the VR lab realistic and practical. The NLP analysis highlighted positive themes such as “engagement”, “valuable experience”, “hands-on learning”, and “understanding”, with over 80% of students endorsing these sentiments. These findings will contribute to future efforts aimed at improving fluid power learning through immersive digital reality technologies, while also exploring alternative approaches for individuals encountering challenges with such technologies.more » « less
-
null (Ed.)ASSURE-US program, started in 2018 through NSF funding, targets first- and second-year engineering and computer science students, especially those underrepresented ones, enrolled at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) to foster socio-cultural interaction, demonstration-based learning experiences, and curriculum-related research experiences of students. Our activities have affected nearly 400 out of the approximate 4700 students enrolled in engineering and computer science programs at CSUF as of Fall 2020, with many of them as first-year freshman students. In this paper, we present the preliminary findings of the two first-year enrichment programs in ASSURE-US: the student teacher interaction council (STIC) and student summer research, and lessons learned from two years’ implementation of the project in order to improve the project implementations for future years.more » « less
-
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates 3D virtual objects into the physical world in real-time, while virtual reality (VR) is a technology that immerses users in an interactive 3D virtual environment. The fast development of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies has reshaped how people interact with the physical world. This presentation will outline the results from two unique AR and one Web-based VR coastal engineering projects, motivating the next stage in the development of the augmented reality package for coastal students, engineers, and planners.more » « less
-
Given the strategic importance of the semiconductor manufacturing sector and the CHIPS Act impact on microelectronics, it is more imperative than ever to train the next generation of scientists and engineers in the field. However, this is a challenging feat since nanofabrication education uses hands-on cleanroom facilities. Since cleanrooms are expensive, have access constraints due to safety concerns, and offer limited instructional space, class sizes and outreach events are limited. To complement instruction in nanotechnology education, there is some open- or educational-access software, which is computer-based and focuses only on training for individual equipment, not on the typical workflow for device fabrication. The objective of this work was to develop an accessible virtual reality ecosystem that provides an immersive education and outreach on device nanofabrication that is user-friendly for a broad range of audiences. At the George Washington University (GWU), a virtual reality cleanroom prototype has been developed. It consists of a 45-minute gameplay module that covers the process flow for the fabrication of micro-scale resistors, from sample preparation to electrical characterization. We also performed a mixed methods study to investigate how 5 students in a nanoelectronics course utilized this virtual reality cleanroom prototype and what changes they recommend to improve its user interface and learner experience. The study population for this work-in-progress consisted of students enrolled in a nanoelectronics course at GWU during the 2022-2023 school year. Students taking this course can be undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate (masters or PhD). The research questions for this study were 1) what is the user experience with the virtual reality cleanroom prototype, 2) what challenges, if any, did students experience, and 3) what changes did students recommend to improve the virtual reality cleanroom prototype learner experience? Preliminary results indicate that the students found the virtual reality cleanroom simulator helpful in repeatedly exploring the cleanroom space and the nanofabrication process flow in a safe way, thus developing more confidence in utilizing the actual cleanroom facility. The results of this study will provide insight on the design of future modules with more complicated levels and device process flows. Moreover, the study could inform the development of other virtual reality simulators for other lab activities. The improved usability of the proposed software could provide students in large classes or attending online programs in electrical and computer engineering, as well as K-12 students participating in nanotechnology-related outreach events, the opportunity to conduct realistic process workflows, learn first-hand about nanofabrication, and practice using a nanofabrication lab via trial and error in a safe virtual environment.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE49875.2021.9637182
