2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Digital Twins in Engineering and Design Education: A Systematized Review

Presented at Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED) - AI and Digital Futures in Design Education

Engineering education increasingly emphasizes project-based and interdisciplinary learning to prepare students for modern, complex industry challenges. In this context, digital twins—detailed, real-time virtual models of physical systems—have the potential to emerge as a novel tool for enhancing design-focused coursework such as cornerstone and capstone projects. By coupling advanced computing and live data, digital twins allow students to test, refine, and analyze system behaviors under authentic conditions without building costly prototypes. This paper presents a systematized literature review examining existing research on digital twin applications in engineering education, particularly design-related courses.

The review process involved defining inclusion criteria, conducting database searches across Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, and Scopus, and synthesizing studies published between 2014 and 2024. In total, 16 relevant articles were identified and analyzed. Four core themes emerged from the data: (1) Digital Twins as a Bridge Between Theory and Practice, illustrating how students can connect abstract concepts to hands-on experiments; (2) Support for Remote and Hybrid Learning Models, highlighting the role of digital twins in providing realistic virtual labs and collaboration opportunities beyond the classroom; (3) Student Learning Experiences, showcasing how immersive and interactive environments improve engagement, problem-solving, and design competencies; and (4) Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Industry–Academia Integration, emphasizing how digital twins facilitate partnerships across engineering fields and with industry.

Findings suggest that digital twins can potentially strengthen students’ technical and analytical skills. However, challenges such as high implementation costs, infrastructure requirements, and faculty training persist. This review concludes that while digital twins stand poised to reshape engineering curricula, additional large-scale evaluations and innovative strategies to mitigate adoption barriers are necessary to realize their transformative impact fully.

Authors

Dr. Maulik C Kotecha http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2460-9289 Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Dr. Maulik C. Kotecha is a postdoctoral scholar at the Pennsylvania State University. He received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He has experience teaching undergraduate students in mechanical engineering. His broad research area is design theory and methodology. He has prior experience working with digital twins and the applicability of design theories on digital twin designs. Dr. Kotecha is interested in studying the designs and applications of digital twins. Specifically, he is working on applications of digital twins in engineering design education, elderly healthcare, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Dr. Tikyna M. Dandridge http://orcid.org/https://0009-0002-2601-4673 The Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Dr. Tikyna Dandridge is a Postdoctoral Scholar in Mechanical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Education and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Alabama A&M University.
Prof. Tahira Reid Smith http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-9764-0797 Pennsylvania State University [biography]

Dr. Tahira Reid Smith (publishes under "Reid") is a Professor at Pennsylvania State University in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Design, the Arthur L. Glenn Professor of Engineering Education, and the Associate Department Head for Inclusive Research and Education in Mechanical Engineering. She is also a co-founder of Black in Engineering. Her research involves the quantification and integration of human-centered considerations in engineering systems and/or the design process. Her research program has received funding from the National Science Foundation, Procter & Gamble, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and many others. Her projects that involved the intersection of diversity and mechanical engineering have been featured in media sources including National Geographic, NBC’s Today Show, Essence Magazine, Reuters, National Public Radio and many others. A highly sought out role model for the younger generation, Dr. Reid Smith’s story about her double dutch jump rope invention is featured in two children’s books and was on the 2017 New York State English and Language Arts Common Core Exam administered to over 100,000 4th graders in the state of New York. Dr. Reid Smith obtained BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. in Design Science, from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

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 July 31, 2025

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