2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Activities of a 30 L bioreactor in virtual reality (VR), initially developed for a bioprocessing laboratory course, were introduced to an environmental engineering laboratory course. The overarching purpose of these VR-based bioreactor activities is to expose students to basic bioreactor learning through immersive engagement, analyze students’ responses, and explore the feasibility of creating a future lab module using VR technology. This study examines the role of VR technology in enhancing student engagement and learning within the lab course. To explore this objective, we asked the following two research questions: (1) How does VR technology enhance student engagement in bioreactor learning? (2) How do students describe and reflect on their learning experiences following engagement with VR technology in bioreactor learning?

The data analyzed in this study consists of 13 participants enrolled in the environmental engineering laboratory course. First, participants were given five minutes to explore as many components of a bioreactor as possible and describe the component inside the bioreactor using VR technology; this activity provided a baseline measure of engagement. Second, participants completed a self-reported retrospective survey in Qualtrics consisting of close-ended items and open-ended reflections on the VR experience. Survey responses were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and insights into students’ engagement and learning during the VR activity.

The post-activity assessment showed strong bioreactor component engagement among students who participated in the VR-based bioreactor activity. Of the 13 participants, 11 students (85%) identified 30 or more of the 35 bioreactor components presented. Qualitative feedback further reinforced this interpretation, with students reporting that the VR experience felt “like a field trip,” “realistic perspective,” “felt like I was actually there,” and “3D interaction and immersion.” Overall, the combination of high component recognition rates and vivid learner feedback demonstrates how VR technology bridges the gap between complex environmental engineering concepts and tangible, real-world applications. These results suggest that VR technology can encourage students’ engagement in environmental engineering education.