2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Virtual Labs for Undergraduate Engineering: Does Virtual Reality have any advantages over a web-based simulation or traditional homework assignment?

Presented at ME Division 9: Enhancing Lab Experiences

In Fall 2024, we studied the use of ThermoLab, a publically available virtual laboratory designed to support conceptual understanding in undergraduate thermodynamics. We conducted a randomized control experiment at a large public university in the midwest, with 163 participants, comparing the use of the web- and VR-based virtual laboratory with a business-as-usual control condition. The purpose of this experiment is to better understand the advantages of tradeoffs of highly novel and immersive, but generally more logistically challenging Virtual Reality learning experiences, in comparison to a virtual laboratory that can be run within a web browser. We used previously validated instruments to measure thermodynamics conceptual understanding, perceived usefulness, usability, as well as researcher developed instruments for enjoyment. The results showed that the ThermoLab virtual laboratory supported increases in student understanding of thermodynamics concepts, but only in the web version. Both versions performed better than the control in terms of enjoyment, and perceived usefulness. This study therefore demonstrates the value of the ThermoLab virtual laboratory in undergraduate engineering education, but cautions that VR may not be worth the additional challenges it brings.

Authors

David J. Gagnon Field Day Lab @ University of Wisconsin - Madison [biography]

David J. Gagnon (University of Wisconsin, Madison) is the Director of Field Day Lab, an educational game studio and research laboratory at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. His lab's projects are used freely by over one million learners yearly and generate data used to build new learning theory and conduct empirical experiments about how learning takes place.
Dr. Arganthaël Berson http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9861-1453 University of Wisconsin - Madison [biography]

Arganthaël Berson is an assistant teaching professor in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where he teaches courses in thermofluids and energy systems.
Prof. John M. Pfotenhauer http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0902-1997 University of Wisconsin - Madison [biography]

Professor John M. Pfotenhauer earned his BA, MA, and PhD degrees in physics from St. Olaf College and the University of Oregon in 1979, 1981, and 1984. For eight years he conducted research as part of the Applied Superconductivity Center at the Universit

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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