Enhancing Active Learning in Additive Manufacturing Using a Bilingual, Assisted Virtual-Reality Platform

技术融入了当今世界的方方面面；因此，教育系统需要培养学生使用技术。虚拟现实是一种方法，可以作为课程的一部分，作为教学交付系统、增强学习过程的工具和评估工具。该项目专注于加法制造，并将利用新兴技术，通过使用虚拟现实来为工科学生开发双语(英语/西班牙语)沉浸式学习环境。所有学生，包括残疾学生，都将获得虚拟环境中的尖端学习模块。添加剂制造技术在未来的制造业中发挥着关键作用，但它们对工人和环境构成了与安全相关的高级别威胁。因此，需要直接或间接使用这些技术的工人必须接受具有实践经验的专业培训，以获得所需的特定认证技能。该项目开发的学习平台将改变传统的学习和教学方式，改善添加剂制造的工程教育。拟议的项目包括四个不同的活动：(I)开发虚拟现实学习平台，(Ii)课程模块设计，(Iii)开发跟踪学生互动的软件，以及(Iv)将开发的软件部署到目标课程中。学习平台将是一个配备不同类型3D打印机的虚拟添加剂制造实验室、计算机工作站、手动工具站和个人防护设备站。将根据所选打印机分配给学生操作或安全培训项目，并提供按顺序完成任务的说明。在开发学习平台和课程模块后，将进行一项试点研究，以收集学生与课程模块互动的数据。学生的面部表情和眼动将随着他们与学习平台和课程材料的互动而实时收集。这项研究的数据将使我们能够开发一个模型来设计虚拟平台内的辅助功能。这种模式可以创建有用的反馈和附加说明，或质疑学生的选择，代替教师的监督，并提供帮助。这个项目的成果将是一个新的双语学习和教学平台，并提供实时帮助，显著提高学生在主动学习中的参与度和表现。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Technology is integrated into every aspect of today’s world; therefore, the education system needs to train students in the use of technology. Virtual reality is one method that can be incorporated as a part of the curriculum, as an instructional delivery system, an instrument to enhance the learning process, and a tool for evaluation. This project focuses on additive manufacturing and will leverage emerging technologies by using virtual reality to develop a bilingual (English/Spanish) immersive learning environment for engineering students. All students, including students with disabilities, will be given access to the cutting-edge learning modules within virtual environments. Additive manufacturing technologies play a critical role in future manufacturing; however, they pose high-level safety-related threats to workers and environments. Hence, workers who need to directly or indirectly work with these technologies must be professionally trained with hands-on experience to gain the specific certified skills needed. The learning platform developed during this project will transform traditional approaches of learning and teaching, and improve engineering education in additive manufacturing.The proposed project includes four distinct activities: (i) development of a virtual reality learning platform, (ii) design of course modules, (iii) development of software to track students’ interactions, and (iv) deployment of the developed software in the target courses. The learning platform will be a virtual additive manufacturing lab equipped with different types of 3D printers, a computer workstation, a station for hand tools, and a station for personal protective equipment. Students will be assigned operational or safety training projects, based on the printer chosen, with instructions to complete tasks in sequence. After the development of the learning platform and course modules, a pilot study will be performed to collect data on student interactions with the course modules. Students’ facial expressions and eye movements will be collected in real-time along with their interactions with the learning platform and course materials. Data from this study will enable us to develop a model to design assistive functionalities within the virtual platform. This model can create useful feedback and additional instructions or question students’ selections, substitute instructors’ supervision, and provide assistance. The outcomes of this project will be a novel bilingual learning and teaching platform with real-time assistance to significantly enhance student engagement and performance in active learning.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.