Low-Cost Virtual Reality as an Educational Tool: Application to Undergraduate Chemical Engineering and Development of Pedagogical Implementation Techniques

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Learning occurs through many different mechanisms, each of which is better suited to different students' learning styles. Optimal learning occurs when teaching methods match learners' styles, and when multiple learning mechanisms are employed. Experience is one of the most powerful learning mechanisms, and has a higher memory retention rate than other forms of learning. Unfortunately, not all students have equal opportunities to acquire that experience, and certain experiences are not available to any students at any cost, due to physical or safety limitations. For example, students are not allowed inside of electronics manufacturing clean rooms or operating chemical reactors. At-risk students in particular do not have equal opportunities for experiential learning, and often have learning styles which do not match traditional teaching methods. Virtual reality has the potential to deliver experiences which are not accessible to students in the real world. Recent and continuing technological advances are bringing VR within the reach of educational and student budgets. However the knowledge base of how to effectively apply VR to technical education must first be established. This project proposes to improve undergraduate engineering education nationwide by producing: 1. A series of VR based educational simulators for use in chemical engineering, and 2. A knowledge base concerning the technical, representational, interfacial, implementational and hardware issues surrounding the application of VR to technical education. A major focus of this work will be to produce student affordable computer modules, which will run on student affordable equipment, and to also support more advanced equipment if the user has it available. A prototype module has already been developed using Pentium based personal computers. Module distribution will be conducted through the non-profit corporation CACHE, to chemical engineering departments nationwide at minimal cost.