Exploring a Virtual Reality Simulation to Aid Inductive Learning of Fluid Pressure Characteristics

Abstract

Dr. Siddharth Savadatti received his PhD in Computational Mechanics from North Carolina State University in 2011 and has since been on the faculty of the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. He teaches mechanics and numerical methods courses such as Statics, Fluid Mechanics, Programming, Numerical Methods for Engineers and Finite Element Analysis. In addition to traditional face-to-face classes, he has designed and taught courses in fully online and completely flipped formats.

An analysis of virtual simulations from the TPACK perspective

“…On the other hand, other simulations just focus on specific and technical skills related with the problem to be solved in the simulation such as Aebersold et al (2018), Smith et al (2016), Holthaus and Longhi (2022) or Savadatti and Johnsen (2017). These simulations include objectives like training clinical psychomotor skills to place a nasogastric tube, preparing to respond and safely perform when a disaster occurs, developing chronic care knowledge, and learning fluid mechanic concepts, goals that are much more technical.…”

“…As an example one can see how more immersive simulations such as Hannans et al (2021) that tries to completely introduce the learners into a different situation through the use of a headset and glasses so that users can experience the life of a person with hearing and visions impediments; or Tiffany and Hoglund (2014), that recreate a whole 3D virtual world in which users can freely move and interact with their pairs, usually include a wide range of learning objectives that go from more transversal skills to more technical ones. On the other hand, less immersive simulations such as Savadatti and Johnsen (2017), Keys et al (2021), or Holthaus and Longhi (2021), just mention technical learning objectives of their fields such as learning fluid mechanic concepts, receiving education on cardiac resuscitation, or developing chronic care knowledge.…”

Virtual Reality Case Studies in Fluid Mechanics: Development, Student Performance and Feedback

“…Fluid mechanics is a prototypical example of a widely-taught, foundational engineering course that involves substantial problem analysis. In fact, this course is the subject of significant study at the College of Engineering of the University of Georgia (UGA) to improve student learning using alternative teaching strategies including flipped classrooms, video lectures, inductive learning, and interactive simulations [8,9]. CBL activities would complement these efforts in conceptual understanding and student engagement (towards improved concept/student retention) with a mechanism to practice and evaluate the application of concepts to real world problems.…”