2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Work-in-Progress: KICK 4.0 - AI Chatting Skills in the Engineering Laboratory

Presented at ELOS Technical Session 4: Empowering Student Learning Through Design, Integration, and Assessment

Many universities lack the resources to provide all students with equal access to practical laboratory work. Online laboratories offer one way to address this challenge. Significant advances in AI technologies in recent years, particularly in natural language processing (NLP) tools like ChatGPT, have created opportunities to meaningfully integrate these technologies and enhance the educational experience of online labs. This conference submission presents work conducted within the KICK 4.0 project, which focuses on online laboratories in engineering education. The project also addresses new competency requirements for students that are becoming increasingly relevant with the growing use of NLP technologies.
This work-in-progress submission explores our approach to making NLP technologies usable in online labs in higher engineering education. Our goal is to identify the potential and limitations of NLP technologies for laboratory-based instruction from both the instructor’s and the learner’s perspectives. We recognize that NLP technologies are still relatively new to both lecturers and students, and their successful use depends on how well users are trained to leverage the technology’s capabilities. Our aim is to help both groups significantly improve their skills in using NLP technologies, particularly in the context of online lab instruction.
To achieve this, we first conducted a detailed requirements analysis in collaboration with engineering instructors and students at our university. The findings of this analysis are discussed in detail in this submission and connected to existing research. Preliminary results show that the acceptance of NLP technologies depends largely on the quality of the feedback and on the perception of the results’ quality. It is therefore important to generate high-quality feedback, and the user plays a significant role in shaping the results by posing the right questions or priming the system accordingly. For students, the primary focus is on the content and language of the answers, while for teachers, the focus is more on the transparency of how the feedback is generated and the reliability of those answers.
Based on our insights, we developed an evaluation framework and established criteria to assess the practicality and effectiveness of the tested NLP systems in our instructional context. Our instructional intervention was applied in an undergraduate thermodynamics lab course, and the introduction of NLP was evaluated accordingly. The results of our work will highlight instructional design factors that positively influence both teachers’ and students’ ability to effectively use NLP technologies in lab courses. Additionally, we will discuss factors that may limit the successful integration of NLP and identify areas for potential improvement.

Authors

Mr. Johannes Kubasch University of Wuppertal [biography]

Johannes Kubasch is a mechanical engineer and research associate at the Chair of Technical and Engineering Education at the University of Wuppertal. As a engineer in automotive engineering, he initially worked in the automotive supply industry in the development of airbag systems before moving to the University of Wuppertal to work in the field of engineering education. In the past, he worked on the AdeLeBk.nrw project to digitize the university training of prospective teachers at vocational schools and to adapt the learning content to the requirements of later professional practice.
Dr. Dominik May http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9860-1864 University of Wuppertal [biography]

Dr. May serves as a Professor for Technical Education and Engineering Education Research at the School of Mechanical Engineering and Safety Engineering at University of Wuppertal. His work revolves around generating both fundamental and practical knowledge that defines, informs, and enhances the education of engineers.

His primary research thrust centers around the development, implementation, practical utilization, and pedagogical value of online laboratories. These laboratories span a range of formats, including remote, virtual, and cross-reality platforms. Dr. May's scholarly pursuits extend into the sphere of online experimentation, particularly within the context of engineering and technical education. Prior to his role at the University of Wuppertal, Dr. May held the position of Assistant Professor within the Engineering Education Transformations Institute at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA, USA).

Central to Dr. May's scholarly endeavors is his commitment to formulating comprehensive educational strategies for Technical and Engineering Education. His work contributes to the establishment of an evidence-based foundation that guides the continual transformation of Technical and Engineering Education. Additionally, Dr. May is actively involved in shaping instructional concepts tailored to immerse students in international study contexts. This approach fosters intercultural collaboration, empowering students to cultivate essential competencies that transcend cultural boundaries.

Beyond his academic role, Dr. May assumes the position of President at the "International Association of Online Engineering (IAOE)," a nonprofit organization with a global mandate to advocate for the broader advancement, distribution, and practical application of Online Engineering (OE) technologies. His leadership underscores his commitment to leveraging technological innovation for societal progress. Furthermore, he serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the "International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET)," a role that facilitates interdisciplinary discussions among engineers, educators, and engineering education researchers. These discussions revolve around the interplay of technology, instruction, and research, fostering a holistic understanding of their synergies.

Dr. May is an active member of the national and international scientific community in Engineering Education Research. He has also organized several international conferences himself – such as the annual "International Conference on Smart Technologies & Education (STE)" – and serves as a board member for further conferences in this domain and for several Divisions within the American Society for Engineering Education.
Doha Meslem Bergische Universität Wuppertal

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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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