Session: 09-08-01: Distance/Online Engineering Education, Models and Enabling Technologies

Paper Number: 73778

Start Time: Tuesday, 10:55 AM

73778 - Green STEM: Virtual Reality Renewable Energy Laboratory for Remote Learning 

An important role of undergraduate education is stimulating critical thinking and enabling engineering students to be creative while developing analytical skills. Traditional face-to-face teaching strategies, using project-based learning and hands-on laboratory activities proved to enhance knowledge retention and increased creativity. However, these approaches are not always cost-effective, nor applicable in remote learning environment. In-class activities cannot be replayed or replicated by students at home, while studying.

Extended Reality technology, including virtual and mixed reality may enable educators create tools for multisensory teaching, enhancing learning through guided imagery and haptics. The end-goal of these transformative teaching tools is to represent and study concepts and notions, offering students a broader perspective over systems integration while exploring fundamental notions of the topics studied.

During the past decade, several studies focused on Virtual Reality’s impact upon learning concluded that the virtual reality evolved from a technological resource towards integration into competency-based learning, enabling students to take an active role in investigating the concepts and notions studied. The VR platform offers the possibility of exploring virtual developments that otherwise would be difficult or unachievable due to financial and/or lab space constraints. Industry at large moved about a decade ago towards using a large variety of virtual or mixed reality platforms in training its workforce. Virtual reality learning platforms gain acceptance and use in many STEM courses; enhancing face-to-face, online and distance learning; creating a collaborative environment, and engaging students in learning.

A team of two undergraduate research students explored the VR technology (engine) and developed the framework for a learning module that will present fundamental notions in renewable energy sources, using scenarios based on physical experiments. The major tasks of the project are (1) the development of virtual reality learning platform and (2) the modeling of the VR framework as applied to several experimental modules: wind turbine, solar cell (PV) module, a water decomposition and fuel cell module. In virtual environment students may be able to explore concepts as parametric characterization of the system as well as thermochemical characterization, using this VR enhanced learning platform. The module is packed in an executable app, downloadable and usable in both VR STEAM immersive environment as well as in a desktop format. Students will follow similar procedures as for physical experiments, using the interactive features of the VR experiments. Each module is depicting the physical laboratory module and it is fully interactive. Students will perform simulated experiments, with data generated on MATLAB/C# simulations of the modules. Future work will include beta-testing and preliminary assessment of the VR Renewable Lab, followed by its course implementation. VR technology will enable students to explore new ways to implement their knowledge in a practical manner, enhancing information retention and promoting critical thinking.

The goal of this investigation was to develop a packaged cyber learning module using immersive Virtual Reality Learning Environment: a digital twin in virtual reality of a series of three physical laboratory activities based on simulation of renewable energy sources.

Presenting Author: Irina N. Ciobanescu Husanu Drexel University

Authors:

Kevin Frank Drexel University
Ayanna Gardner Drexel University
Irina N. Ciobanescu Husanu Drexel University
Richard Y. Chiou Drexel University
Regina Ruane Temple University