2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 127: Work in Progress: Strategizing the Integration of VR and AR in STEM Education: Aligning Educational, Organizational, and Technological Strategies

Presented at Faculty Development Division (FDD) Poster Session

The integration of STEM education with Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies offers opportunities to enhance students’ learning experiences by connecting theoretical knowledge with real-world applications. STEM courses, including a range of concepts in mathematics, physics, and engineering, become more perceptible and meaningful when visualized in 3D mediums. Moreover, these learning experiences are enriched when 3D visualization incorporates interactive elements within the virtual environment, allowing students to unleash their curiosity, manipulate concepts, and practice critical thinking skills through an immersive experience. However, applying AR and VR in education is not without its challenges such as the need for infrastructure investment, the steep learning curve for educators, the development of effective pedagogies, and effective resource allocation. Consequently, the adoption process necessitates a strategic alignment among educational, organizational, and technological strategies within institutions. This paper discusses the essential requirements, opportunities, and challenges of adopting VR and AR technologies and developing effective pedagogies in STEM education. With the continuous advancement and increasing accessibility of these tools and training resources, some challenges will be addressed in the future, and this paper aims to offer a strategic roadmap for educators and institutions to be able to initiate a change project adopting emerging technologies in STEM education to enhance student engagement and improve their comprehension.
I would like to present the paper in a poster format.

Authors

Dr. Amirmasoud Momenipour Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology [biography]

Amir Momenipour, PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering, is an Assistant Professor of Engineering Management at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with interests and expertise in teaching human factors, user experience, and work analysis and design. Dr. Momenipour is a member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), and Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
Dr. Priyadarshini Pennathur University of Texas at El Paso [biography]

Dr. Priyadarshini R. Pennathur is an associate professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
Dr. Arunkumar Pennathur University of Texas at El Paso [biography]

Dr. Arunkumar Pennathur is Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Pennathur is a Co-Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Industrial Engineering, and the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applications and Practices in Engineering Education. Dr. Pennathur’s research interests are in human factors engineering and engineering education. In particular, he has conducted research on functional limitations in activities of daily living in older adults. The National Institutes of Health, and the Paso del Norte Health Foundation have funded his research on older adults. The US Army Research Laboratory has funded Dr. Pennathur’s research on workload assessment. Dr. Pennathur has also been recently awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation in Engineering Education. In one of the grants, he is modeling how engineering faculty plan for their instruction. In a second grant, he is developing a model for institutional transformation in engineering which balances access and excellence. Dr. Pennathur is the author/co-author of over 100 publications in industrial engineering and human factors engineering. He is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, among other journals.
Brian Boswell Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

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