Empowering Students with Engineering Literacy and Systematic Problem Solving through Interactive and Cost-Effective Games

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该工程教育研究奖授予罗文大学和卡姆登社区学院，将雇用研究人员开发虚拟现实游戏，以提高学生的阅读理解和解决问题的能力。基于二维虚拟现实主题的游戏系统将工程素养注入低年级核心电气和计算机工程课程。游戏的设计将展示解决问题的方法，允许合作，并跟踪学生的表现。这些游戏将模拟设计挑战，如电网模拟，在更广泛、更现实的背景下，而不是简单的实验室练习，这种在社会问题背景下的技术概念设置可能会增加对工程和学生的兴趣。因为这项研究以一种对大多数学生来说都很舒服的游戏形式解决了所有工程专业学生所需的基本技能，它有可能显著提高学生的阅读和解决问题的能力，并为学生的高级学习和工程工作做好更好的准备。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)This engineering education research award to Rowan University and Camden Community College will employ researchers to develop virtual reality games to improve students' reading comprehension and problem-solving abilities. The two-dimensional virtual reality theme based game system will infuse engineering literacy into lower division core electrical and computer engineering courses. The games will be designed to demonstrate problem solving methodology, allow collaboration, and track student performance. The games will simulate design challenges, such as power grid simulations, in a broader more realistic context than simple laboratory exercises, and this setting of technical concepts in a context of social issues may increase interest in engineering and student retention. Because this research addresses fundamental skills needed by all engineering students in a game format that is comfortable for most students, it has the potential to significantly improve student reading and problem solving abilities and better prepare students for advanced study and engineering jobs.