Improving Engineering Student Engagement, Self-Efficacy, Diversity Awareness, and Retention using Visualization and Virtual/Augmented Reality Technologies

该项目通过在建筑工程和建筑（AEC）课程中创建可视化和增强/虚拟现实（AR/VR）教育模块来服务于国家利益，这将有助于提高学生对课程的坚持性，自信心和多样性意识。学生将在团队中使用可视化和交互式AR/VR模块进行真实的世界项目。学生之间的社会和技术互动将使用虚拟空间，模拟物理会议室，学生可以分享工程文物促进。学生的学习将通过交互式建筑环境，3D虚拟环境中的交互式练习以及嵌入式音频/视频来支持，这些音频/视频提供了对学生设计决策的反馈。学生将把自己想象成AEC专业人士，并从K-12或社区学院的背景以及学位课程的第一年开始提高自我效能。更先进的现实生活中的工程经验将继续加强自我效能和工程参与整个AEC课程。内布拉斯加大学林肯分校是一个研究密集型机构，与田纳西州州立大学HBCU之间的合作将为学生提供一个与来自不同背景的其他学生互动的机会，并对不同受众的教育模块的有效性产生有价值的见解。一系列虚拟研讨会将用于支持其他AEC项目、其他工程学科和高中教师采用这些模块。三个教育模块将在合作机构的课程中开发和实施。一个介绍性模块将用于推广到K-12和社区学院，以产生对AEC领域的兴趣。其余模块将用于现有课程的第一和第二年AEC学生。模块的设计是由领域学习模型的理论框架，包括其结构的学习阶段和感兴趣的阶段。将根据课程的学习目标和所针对的AEC课程水平开发模块。该项目旨在回答以下总体研究问题：1）模块如何影响学生的参与，自我效能和多样性意识？2)如何入学率，保留率和毕业率的变化作为模块引入课程？3）前两个问题的结果如何因机构而异？ 每个模块将为多案例研究提供基础，其中机构背景定义了每个案例。丰富的案例描述和跨案例分析将指导对该模块的改进，突出模块的可移植性障碍和启示，并能够根据调查工具和访谈的数据解释调查结果。该项目将进一步了解基于AR/VR的学习模块在STEM教学和学习中的影响。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project serves the national interest by creating visualization and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) education modules in architectural engineering and construction (AEC) courses that will help improve students’ persistence in the program, self-confidence, and diversity awareness. Students will work on real world projects in teams using the visualization and interactive AR/VR modules. Social and technical interactions between students will be facilitated using virtual spaces that simulate physical meeting rooms in which students can share engineering artifacts. Student learning will be supported with an interactive building environment, interactive exercises in a 3D virtual environment, and embedded audio/videos that provide feedback on student design decisions. Students will visualize themselves as AEC professionals and increase their self-efficacy starting in K-12 or community college contexts as well as in the first year of their degree program. More advanced real-life engineering experiences will continue to reinforce self-efficacy and engagement in engineering throughout the AEC curriculum. This collaboration between a research-intensive institution, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and an HBCU, Tennessee State University, will provide an opportunity for students to interact with other students from diverse backgrounds and produce valuable insights on the effectiveness of the education modules with different audiences. A virtual workshop series will be used to support the adoption of the modules by other AEC programs, other engineering disciplines, and high school teachers.Three education modules will be developed and implemented in courses at the collaborating institutions. An introductory module will be used for outreach to K-12 and community colleges to generate interest in AEC fields. The remaining modules will be used for first and second-year AEC students in existing courses. The design of the modules is informed by the Model of Domain Learning theoretical framework including its constructs of stages of learning and phases of interest. Modules will be developed with attention to the learning objectives of the courses and the level of AEC curriculum that is being targeted. The project seeks to answer the following overarching research questions: 1) How does a module impact students' engagement, self-efficacy, and diversity awareness? 2) How do enrollment, retention, and graduation rates change as modules are introduced into the curriculum? and 3) How do the findings to the first two questions vary by institution? Each module will provide the basis for a multi-case study where the institutional context defines each case. Rich case descriptions and cross-case analysis will guide improvements to the module, highlight module transferability barriers and affordances, and enable interpretation of findings based on data from survey instruments and interviews. This project will advance knowledge about the impact of AR/VR-based learning modules in STEM teaching and learning. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.