2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Mixed Reality as a Teaching Tool for Improving Spatial Visualization in Engineering Students

Presented at Industrial Engineering Division (IND) Technical Session 4

Perceiving experiences can be achieved through various channels of reception, where learners receive information in diverse styles, e.g., visualizing and hearing, reflecting and acting, reasoning logically and intuitively, and memorizing. Among all these perceiving ways, visualization has been receiving significant attention in STEM learning due to its ability to support learners in constructing large and intricate information structures, making them more comprehensible. One form of visualization, spatial visualization or spatial-visual ability, is a compound operation that integrates visual perception and mental imagery. Spatial visualization skills involve the ability to mentally maneuver two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. These skills are crucial for learners in STEM disciplines in general, with a particular emphasis on their significance for engineering students. Research studies reveal that the lack of spatial visualization skills negatively impacts engineering students’ educational and psychological performance. Thus, this work aims to explore how Mixed Reality (MR) can be used as a pedagogic tool to develop students’ spatial visualization skills. Throughout this work, an interactive MR module on hydraulic gripper designs is developed and tested in undergraduate courses. The MR module comprises a 10-minute tutorial session and a 20-minute interactive simulation lab on hydraulic grippers. It exposes students to virtual object manipulation and spatial interactions in MR settings, allowing them to visualize and interact with the internal structure of hydraulic grippers to help improve their spatial visualization skills. A research study is then conducted by incorporating the module into an undergraduate course to examine the effectiveness of MR as a teaching tool for developing students’ spatial visualization skills. The Revised PSVT:R, a psychometric tool used to assess the level of improvement in the students’ spatial skills, is utilized. Besides inspecting the effectiveness of MR in enhancing students’ spatial visualization skills, the study also aims to investigate the impact of MR modules on students’ motivation levels toward learning fluid power concepts. Therefore, self-reflection surveys consisting of Likert scale and semantic differential questions are designed to study students’ learning experiences. The study findings showed that MR has the potential to improve students’ spatial abilities, where the class average ability increased from 74% to 80%. This result can be further enhanced by exposing students to other MR labs, giving them more time to visualize 3D shapes in MR settings. The results also revealed a positive impact of MR on students’ learning experience, as more than 94% showed interest in learning through MR modules.

Authors

Ms. Israa Azzam Purdue University, West Lafayette [biography]

Israa is a Ph.D. student at Purdue University, specializing in digital technologies and control systems. She received her B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Beirut Arab University (BAU) in 2019 and her M.E. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 2021, specializing in Robust Control.
Israa is a Research Assistant on the National Science Foundation-funded Project "Research Initiation: Developing Spatial Visualization and Understanding of Complex Systems via Interactive Mixed Reality Modules”. Israa leads research endeavors focusing on improving cognitive skills through extended reality (XR). Additionally, Israa’s contributions extend to integrating control system analysis and design into XR, where she has developed and implemented multiple interactive Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) modules and platforms. These modules have been effectively utilized in mechanical design, training, remote operation, and engineering education. Israa has received recognition for her contributions, including the best poster and presentation awards for her work, the 2024 Bravo Award for Employee Recognition, and induction into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, placing her among the top 10% of Purdue Graduate students. Her academic journey reflects a commitment to advancing knowledge and contributing to technological innovation in XR control systems.
Her professional aspirations include applying for an Assistant Professor position upon completing her Ph.D. This career trajectory aligns with her desire to leverage her accumulated experience and knowledge to mentor and guide emerging talents. A central component of her vision is inspiring and supporting aspiring scholars in pursuing academic and professional excellence, facilitating impactful change within our field.
Dr. Farid Breidi http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4959-3292 Purdue University, West Lafayette [biography]

Dr. Farid Breidi joined the School of Engineering Technology at Purdue University as an Assistant Professor in Aug 2020. Farid received his B.E. in Mechanical Engineering degree from the American University of Beirut in 2010, his M.S. in Mechanical Engine
Dr. Faisal Aqlan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0695-5364 University of Louisville [biography]

Dr. Faisal Aqlan is an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at The University of Louisville. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering form The State University of New York at Binghamton.
Dr. Jose M Garcia http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3017-3354 Purdue University [biography]

Dr. Jose M. Garcia-Bravo is currently an Associate Professor for the Mechanical Engineering Technology program where he has a special focus on fluid power (hydraulic systems) research and instruction, additive manufacturing and smart manufacturing using Industrial Internet of Things technologies. Garcia-Bravo received his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota in 2002, His M.Sc. in 2006 and Ph.D. in 2011 from Purdue University.
Paul Asunda Purdue University, West Lafayette [biography]

Paul A. Asunda is an Associate professor of Engineering and Technology Teacher Education. He holds a joint appointment in the College of Education and Purdue Polytechnic Institute. His research interests focus on the changing nature of work and learning with respect to supporting integration of engineering design and computational thinking practices in integrated STEM (iSTEM) disciplines at the K-12 level.

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