Enhancing Active Learning in Additive Manufacturing Using an Assisted Virtual Reality Approach
Funding Amount
Sponsor
Research on Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning (RETTL) Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Abstract
This research study has developed a virtual additive manufacturing lab in Unity. The lab included a selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer, the necessary workstation, a supply station for personal protective equipment, and a post-processing station. The study provided students with opportunities to have hands-on experience with a 3D printer while making decisions on safety and operating process parameters. Undergraduate students from the Decision Analysis in Systems Design (IE4345) course of the IMSE department of the University of Texas at Arlington were exposed to a new learning method to enhance their engagement and cognitive processing. Students’ attentions were measured using eye metrics, e.g., fixation duration, fixation density, and preference index; their exposure experience was collected through the simulation sickness questionnaire, presence questionnaire, and system usability scale. Pre-and post-VR training questionnaires and performance metrics assessed students’ learning outcomes. The study’s results informed researchers about students’ attention within a virtual 3D printing lab and their satisfaction after learning with virtual reality. Students experienced many challenges while interacting with different components of the virtual learning environment. The gaze behavior and subjective responses to the user experience of the designed system revealed the patterns of these challenges, which will help develop assistive instructions for future users of this educational platform.
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