Mixed Reality Tools in Engineering Drawing Course

Abstract

Some students have trouble visualizing the objects that they are trying to sketch during the orthographic projection and descriptive geometry lessons in Engineering Drawing courses. Geometry visualization is an essential skill for prospective engineers to have when entering the profession. Engineering students need to be able to visualize objects in technical problems on a regular basis, but some students have difficulty imagining objects as a three dimensional mental image from two dimensional orthographic views. They need more time and help to improve their visualization skills. Engineering drawing courses help students gain this missing skillset by providing the necessary training for object visualization, spatial cognition of problems, geometric reasoning, and graphic representation of ideas. However, lecture time tends to be limited in such courses and some students struggle in figuring out how to generate three dimensional objects or other necessary projection views in order to solve the problem while analyzing projection views. Many students with the missing visualization skills cannot comprehend the engineering problems assigned to them. Students develop these visualization skills better with mixed reality (MR) applications since it enables them to augment the virtual model in real surroundings by observing and touching the real model at the same time. MR technology projects the model in front of the students' eyes, allowing them to see the three dimensional representation of the objects while also allowing them to imagine, analyze, and sketch the necessary views. The stereographic model views are displayed in MR by using the Moverio see-through glasses or the Google Cardboard. This MR supported learning material in an engineering drawing course is reported and student success is studied by using pre-and post-mental rotation tests.

Spatial Skills and Design Problem Scoping Behaviors in Undergraduate Engineering Students

“…Spatial skills are very important for engineering students, and there is more and more research showing that improving these skills can lead to significant benefits and help engineers to function more effectively in their respective fields of work (Serdar & deVries, 2015;Sorby & Baartmans, 2000;Duffy, et al, 2020). Many research studies have shown that students with strong spatial ability are more likely to be successful in STEM (Sorby et al, 2014;Sorby et al, 2018;Wai et al, 2009;Uttal et al, 2013).…”