A Virtual Resource for Enhancing the Spatial Comprehension of Crystal Lattices

Abstract

Students commonly exhibit serious spatial comprehension difficulties when they come to learning crystal systems. To solve this problem, an active methodology based on the use of a Didactic Virtual Tool (DVT)-developed by the authors-is presented in this paper. The students' opinion was obtained from a survey carried out on 40 mechanical engineering students. The analysis of the obtained results reveals that, by using this DVT, students achieve a better understanding of the contents where spatial difficulties often arise during conventional teaching. Several DVT features were highly valued by the students, e.g., didactic use was rated 9.5 out of 10 and the methodology using the DVT in the classroom was rated 8.5 out of 10. In addition, the results revealed two factors that the students considered essential for using a DVT, both related to the tool design: (i) the modern aspect, i.e., it is necessary to keep a DVT updated to avoid obsolescence; and (ii) the DVT must be appealing in order to attract the students' attention.

Meaningful Learning Through Virtual Reality Learning Environments: A Case Study in Materials Engineering

“…It is particularly worth noting that the design of a VRLE plays a key role in the development of the teaching-learning process [11,24,25]. In fact, according to previous findings, "a direct relationship exists between the virtual tool design and the motivation generated in the user to keep on using it" [11].…”

“…To date, different tests of materials have been simulated in a VRLE (e.g., tensile testing [4,5], compression testing [6], impact testing [7,8], hardness testing [7,8], microscopic analysis [7,8], and non-destructive testing [9,10]). In addition, other key aspects related to MSE have been investigated in a VRLE (e.g., crystal lattices [11,12], phase diagrams [13,14], nanomaterials [15,16], and materials manufacturing processes [17]). Several educational benefits of implementing virtual reality (VR) in MSE have been reported in the literature [4,18,19].…”

The Technological Obsolescence of Virtual Reality Learning Environments

“…with the passage of VRLE-1 to VRLE-2). In the authors' opinion, the invariability of such KPIs (ease of use and usefulness) is mainly due to two main factors: (i) the majority of students are used to using this type of virtual environment since they are very similar to video games and (ii) all the participating students in this study had used in the past, or were using at that time, other VRLEs in the classroom as tools that supported their master classes [26,27,33,35,37,38,52,54], hence students were familiar with their use as they had proven to be useful tools.…”

“…The VRLE-1 systems ( Figure 3) are non-immersive virtual reality (VR)-based applications which run generally on a personal computer, the user interaction is carried out using a keyboard and a mouse and the virtual environment is displayed via a monitor [26,36,44]. The VRLE-1 dedicated to the TPD understanding ( Figure 3a) shows a three-dimensional illustration of an ideal TPD model where it can be distinguished different parts (each part corresponding to a specific phase, resulting from the combination of three different components at several ranges of temperature).…”

“…Another clear example can be seen if one visits a website developed for a large company in the late nineties and compares it with a more recently developed website for that same company: a modern website of this type has an aesthetic adapted to current preferences, links to social networks (nonexistent in the nineties), modern security protocols, ready to work collaboratively with other people in different disciplines and expertise, adaptable in new job environments and innovative-driven to seek entrepreneurship opportunities. For this reason, VRLEs have been the subject of different studies that have indicated which characteristics are those that arouse greater motivation among students [25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. One of the main conclusions drawn from these studies indicates the technological obsolescence of VRLE as a factor that decisively influences the motivation that students have when using these educational tools.…”