Improving student engagement in freshman engineering graphics using Student Assistant for Visualization in Engineering (SAVE)

通过这个项目，正在开发一套新的工程图学课程教学工具。空间可视化（SV）技能已被证明是在工程中取得成功的必要条件；然而，这是一项很难掌握的技能。本项目将(1)开发一套物理模型，并将其与课堂上的SV学习相结合；(2)开发并实现一个可以在移动设备和计算机上随时使用的在线助手环境。研究人员正在开发一种基于游戏的课堂方法，将游戏理论和基于谜题的学习和推理、主动学习以及使用有形模型进行教学相结合。该项目正在创建并测试一种有前途的方法的有效性，该方法使用基于游戏的主动学习方法来教授空间可视化。假设学生的SV技能可以通过动手检查他们构建的对象来提高。在线助手将允许学生通过即时反馈独立发展SV技能。这个项目的游戏部分解决了学生的动机。这项工作有可能在K-12和其他工程学校广泛应用。推广工作将包括在当地K-12学校的课堂上实施，以及通过塔斯基吉大学提供的两个早期工程项目。此外，为培训这些学校的教育工作者而设计的讲习班和网络研讨会将加强课堂实施。

Through this project, a new set of instructional tools for engineering graphics courses is being developed. Spatial visualization (SV) skill has been shown to be necessary to succeed in engineering; however, it is a difficult skill to master. This project will (1) develop a set of physical models and integrate them with SV learning in the classroom, and (2) develop and implement an online assistant environment that can be used at any time on mobile devices and computers. The investigators are developing a game-based classroom approach that combines the theories of game and puzzle-based learning and reasoning, active learning, and the use of tangible models for instruction. The project is creating and testing the effectiveness of a promising way to teach spatial visualization using a game-based active learning approach. Students' SV skills are hypothesized to improve through hands-on examination of objects that they construct. The online assistant will allow students to independently develop SV skills through immediate feedback. The gaming component of the project addresses student motivation. This work has potential for widespread reapplication in K-12 and other engineering schools. Outreach efforts will include classroom implementations in local area K-12 schools, and through two early engineering programs offered at Tuskegee University. In addition, workshops and webinars designed to train educators at these schools will enhance the classroom implementations.