Virtual Reality as an Immersive Teaching Aid to Enhance the Connection between Education and Practice

Abstract

Maximizing knowledge transfer is one of the main factors of modern education. It is important to raise the probability that students can successfully apply acquired knowledge into practice. This article deals with virtual reality (VR) as an alternative method to provide students with a more immersive approach to semester assignments and their completion. In addition to information on paper, they are provided with an immersive virtual environment that interactively visualizes problems. To test this approach, a case study took place at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Žilina. Students were given a standard assignment for workplace analysis and optimization. However, in addition to papers containing all the necessary information about the workplace and its processes (a drilling workplace), the students could also put on a VR headset and walk through a virtual copy of the assigned workplace. Instead of relying on a 2D layout and a few photos, the students observed every detail of the workplace from any angle. Moreover, the immersive virtual workplace was interactive, and the students could interact with machine tools and replicate the real manufacturing process. With this new addition, the students completed the assignment and then filled out a short questionnaire questioning their satisfaction with the chosen approach. With positive feedback, the implementation of VR into the teaching process could further motivate students and make the transfer of knowledge into their future jobs easier.

Advancing Sustainability through Higher Education: Student Teachers Integrate Inner Development Goals (IDG) and Future-Oriented Methodologies

“…AR is created by integrating digital information into the real world. Compared to virtual reality, augmented reality as a heightened version of reality additionally generates immersion, participation, and interaction [10,11]. Providing remediation on-demand can give learners a greater understanding of a topic, stimulate discovery and learning, and enable them to interact by initiating hybrid contexts for an in-person conference.…”

“…The goal of the Stormathon workshop was to plan activities for the Caretakers of the Environment International (CEI) meeting, scheduled for summer 2024 in a hybrid format. The CEI 2024 case, titled "Learning Affordances Reclaiming the New Normal and Open Digital Transformation of Sustainability Education" (see Box 1), exemplifies how virtual exchanges can be implemented in higher education to foster collaboration with youth and teachers in society [3,[10][11][12].…”

“…Like architects and other design professionals, teachers are required to devise creative and evidence-based methods to improve their practice. Although teachers design and test new ways of teaching using technology-enhanced learning [10,11,22] to support their students, teaching is not recognized as a design profession [18]. As a result, teachers' discoveries and inventions often remain localized.…”

“…They generate opportunities for youth and teachers worldwide to access high-quality international and cross-cultural education, both formal and informal, without the need for physical mobility [28]. While virtual dialogue cannot fully replace the benefits of physical mobility [11], the ability for participants to meet and engage in debate in virtual exchanges allows them to reap some of the benefits of international educational experiences. Digital platforms enable a response to global mobility restrictions due to visas, funding or time constraints, and the need to reduce greenhouse emissions from international travel [29].…”

Curriculum Development of EdTech Class Using 3D Modeling Software for University Students in the Republic of Korea

“…Our study benefited from previous studies that employed methodologies similar to ours. For instance, Martin Krajcovic and Gabriela Gabajová conducted a study measuring students' proficiency levels after conducting two months of practical sessions handling engineering equipment in a virtual space [22]. Thanh Tuan To and Abdullah Al Mahmud analyzed the current status of educators' and university students' experiences with 3D printer usage and their associated challenges via surveys and interviews conducted at the university level [23].…”