Supporting Student Learning of Introductory Thermodynamics using a Virtual Laboratory with Stealth Assessment

本计划旨在为国家利益服务，开发一个新的虚拟实验室软件应用程序，以帮助学生学习热力学概念。热力学入门是许多工程专业的基础课程。然而，学生往往难以理解和想象这门课程中所教授的复杂概念，这对学生的学业成功造成了障碍。学生的主动学习经验已被证明对提高学生的学习成果是有效的。虚拟实验室是一种数字化的学习环境，可以通过模拟系统为学生提供主动的学习实验练习。这个项目将从不同的机构招募热力学讲师，为虚拟实验室应用程序的设计提供意见，并在他们的课程中实施应用程序。该研究将研究如何在使用该应用程序时实时分析学生的行为，以评估学生的学习情况。该软件应用程序将与一系列精心策划的教学支持材料（如实验室作业讲义、测验和演示）一起向公众开放。项目结果将在专业会议上和以工程教育为重点的出版物上分发给工程教育工作者。这个项目的目标是提高学生在热力学入门课程中的学习成果。该项目计划举办一个热力学讲师研讨会，代表不同的教育背景、实践和需求。参与者将使用现有的原型应用程序，确定设计约束，定义用例，确定教学的最佳实践，并集思广益潜在的虚拟实验室挑战。研讨会的成果将指导虚拟现实应用程序的设计和开发，使其与不同的教育环境保持一致。参与者将被要求将应用程序整合到他们的热力学课程中，并向项目团队提供反馈。该项目包括三个研究问题：(1)不同的工程讲师如何将基于vr的虚拟实验室整合到他们的热力学入门课程中？(2)基于vr的虚拟实验室如何支持学生学习入门热力学概念？(3)如何使用嵌入虚拟实验室本身的隐形评估来评估学生的学习？跨案例分析方法将用于综合所有讲师的实现和上下文的发现。定性方法将用于推导玩家互动和学习自我感知的关键主题，以及传统的统计方法来分析学生评估的差异。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。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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 aims to serve the national interest by developing a new virtual laboratory software application to help students learn thermodynamics concepts. Introductory undergraduate thermodynamics is a foundational course in many engineering majors. However, students often have difficulty understanding and visualizing the complex concepts taught in this course, creating a barrier to students’ academic success. Active learning experiences for students have been shown to be effective in improving student learning outcomes. Virtual laboratories are digital learning environments that can provide active learning lab exercises for students using a simulation of a system. This project will recruit thermodynamics instructors from diverse institutions to provide input on the design of the virtual laboratory application and to implement the application in their courses. The study will examine how real time analysis of student actions while using the application can be used to assess student learning. The software application will be available to the public along with a collection of curated instructional support materials such as laboratory assignment handouts, quizzes, and presentations. Project results will be disseminated to engineering educators at professional conferences and in publications focused on engineering education.The goal of this project is to improve student learning outcomes in introductory thermodynamics courses. The project plans to conduct a workshop of thermodynamics instructors that represent a diversity of educational contexts, practices, and needs. Participants will use an existing prototype application, determine design constraints, define use cases, identify best practices for teaching, and brainstorm potential virtual laboratory challenges. The workshop results will guide the design and development of the virtual reality application so that it will be aligned with the different educational contexts. Participants will be asked to integrate the application in their thermodynamics courses and to provide feedback to the project team. The project includes three research questions: (1) How do different engineering instructors integrate VR-based virtual laboratories into their introductory thermodynamics coursework? (2) How does a VR-based virtual laboratory support student learning of introductory thermodynamics concepts? (3) How can student learning be assessed using stealth assessments embedded within the virtual laboratory itself? A cross-case analysis method will be used to synthesize findings across all of the instructors’ implementations and contexts. Qualitative methods will be used to derive key themes of player interaction and self-perception of learning as well as traditional statistical methods to analyze differences in student assessments. 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.