Collaborative Research: Research Initiation: Formation of the Foundations for Engineering Intuition in Structural Engineering with Mixed Reality

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The design of large-scale structural systems such as buildings and bridges require practicing civil (structural) engineers to understand the linkage between the physical built environment and abstract descriptions, idealized depictions, and mathematical models used to explain their behavior. This formalized understanding is often developed through experience and forms the basis of engineering intuition. Students, or engineer trainees, lack this engineering intuition and are known to have difficulty making these connections and constructing mental models of the abstract concepts and complex systems in the absence of first-hand observations, which are challenging to replicate in the classroom. This project will utilize mixed reality technology, specifically a mobile augmented reality application that is deployable on mobile devices, to accelerate the educational experiences of students in a core structural design course. In the classroom, the technology integration will allow for collaborative (peer-peer and student-instructor) real-time engagement with models of real-world structural systems aimed at providing the essential linkage between physical representations and their theoretical abstractions. The research will evaluate the impacts of technology integration on instructional methods, student engagement, learning outcomes, and formation of engineering intuition. The study will be led by an experienced PI with expertise in structural engineering and technology development but new to the field of engineering education research, with mentorship provided by an experienced engineering education researcher with complementary expertise in cyber-learning, mixed-reality learning environments, and relationships between spatial and mechanical abilities in student learning. The collaboration will serve as a pilot study on the integration of mixed reality as an accelerator of the development of engineering intuition, a key characteristic in the formation of holistic engineers prepared to communicate effectively in a technology-driven world.The research objective of this proposed project will measure the effectiveness of mixed reality as a tool for the development of engineering intuition in structural design and mechanics by providing students with a mechanism for engagement with real-world representations of the complex systems they intend to design. To meet this objective this study aims to: 1) assess the effectiveness of a mixed reality pedagogical tool on students’ performance on abstract structural engineering design-related problems; and 2) assess the effectiveness of the pedagogical tool on students’ engagement in structural engineering topics. The expected result of the integration of MR as a supplemental tool is that students will complete the course not only with the “how” of design process, but also with increased knowledge and spatial awareness of the “why” and “in which context”, an essential component to the advancement of holistic structural engineers. The research will build from the situated perspective on learning through an empirical examination of the effectiveness of a guided active exploration process to improve students’ abilities to visualize and analyze abstract descriptions of the problem context for structural engineering and design. In evaluating this approach, the study will answer the following research questions: 1) does mixed reality improve students’ abilities to visualize and analyze abstract descriptions of the problem context for structural engineering and design?; 2) to what extent does mixed reality help students formulate their understanding of complex structural behavior and interactions within structural systems?; and 3) how do the students use and engage with mixed reality content in their exploration of structural engineering concepts?. The outcomes of this study will serve as the foundation for exploring mixed reality in other mechanics-oriented contexts and for broader technology dissemination to the engineering community.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.