Visual Tools for Demonstrating Engineering Concepts in a Quasi-Realistic Simulation Environment

这个项目解决了工程学本科学生的一个主要的教/学问题，他们是高度可视化的学习者--需要对如何制定和解决工程问题有一个良好的理解，以及在涉及抽象概念的领域中超越学科界限的能力。具体地说，目前正在开发一种名为“案例研究互动”的新教学工具的通用框架和几个原型，并在各种学习环境中进行测试。这一创新的教学工具在高度可视化和交互式的计算机模拟环境中结合了技术知识和幽默/娱乐的交付，以呈现随时间演变的复杂的多学科问题。拟议的概念利用了计算机游戏中使用的相同动机，即想要“击败计算机”和最大化自己的分数的愿望，诱使学生最大限度地了解支配系统反应的规律(例如，科学原理、管理实践)。互动式案例研究还使小学生和高中生能够在他们能够理解的技术水平上接触到现实世界中的工程问题。通过改变技术知识和娱乐(“游戏”)功能的相对数量，可以为不同年龄和学习能力的人开发互动案例。

This project addresses a major teaching/learning problem for undergraduate engineering students who are highly visual learners - the need to develop a sound understanding of how engineering problems can be formulated and solved, and the ability to transcend disciplinary boundaries, in areas where abstract concepts are involved. Specifically, a generic framework and several prototypes of a new teaching tool, named 'Case Study Interactive', are currently being developed and tested in a variety of learning settings. This innovative instructional tool combines the delivery of technical knowledge and humor/entertainment within a highly visual and interactive computer simulation environment to present complex, multidisciplinary problems that evolve over time. The proposed concept harnesses the same motivators used in computer games, namely the desires to "beat the computer" and to maximize one's score, enticing the student to maximize his/her understanding of the laws that govern the response of the system (e.g., scientific principles, management practices). Interactive case studies also enable exposure of elementary and high school students to real-world engineering problems at a technical level that they can comprehend. By varying the relative amounts of technical knowledge and entertainment ("game") features, interactive cases can be developed for a wide range of ages and learning capacities.