Use of Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Displays for Engineering Technology Students and Implications on Spatial Visualization

Results from a number of studies indicate that the use of head-mounted displays can influence spatial visualization ability; however, research provides inconsistent results. Considering this, a quasi-experimental study was conducted to identify the existence of statistically significant effects on rotational view drawing ability due to the impacts of the displays. In particular, the study compared the use of three different types of displays; head-mounted, pc dynamic and 3D printed and whether a significant difference exists towards rotational view drawing ability, among engineering technology students. According to the results of this study it is suggested that the impact of the display type provides no statistically significant differences

Improving Performance to Engineering Students through Virtual Labs and its Monitoring in Cockpit

Modern education needs use all resources to improve teaching-learning process. To achieve this goal, technology can be a sharp allied. Especially to the engineering education, which seeks the balance among theoretical and practice lessons. Thus, many universities are using the virtual labs and virtual worlds 3D like way to support the student's learning and enrich the teaching methods. High tech classes, broadband communication, mobility and ubiquity aren't enough if the student's engagement can't be measured. This work presents a proposal to monitor the virtual lab use by students, showing the educational parameters in a graphical interface, following the suitable pedagogical concepts

Improving Performance to Engineering Students through Virtual Labs and its Monitoring in Cockpit

Modern education needs use all resources to improve teaching-learning process. To achieve this goal, technology can be a sharp allied. Especially to the engineering education, which seeks the balance among theoretical and practice lessons. Thus, many universities are using the virtual labs and virtual worlds 3D like way to support the student's learning and enrich the teaching methods. High tech classes, broadband communication, mobility and ubiquity aren't enough if the student's engagement can't be measured. This work presents a proposal to monitor the virtual lab use by students, showing the educational parameters in a graphical interface, following the suitable pedagogical concepts

Fatores ensejadores de engajamento em ambientes de mundos virtuais

Os alunos deste milênio possuem familiaridade com as Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação, usam dispositivos conectados às redes WiFi, acessam com frequência a Internet e as redes sociais e são usuários intensivos de jogos digitais e de vídeo games. Para estes alunos, a utilização de recursos e ambientes digitais é uma atividade natural em seu dia-a-dia. É de se esperar que a educação possa aproveitar a condição do domínio tecnológico dos alunos; para proporcionar situações nas quais eles utilizem dispositivos e ambientes digitais que se assemelham com os que eles acessam diariamente, e projetá-los de tal maneira que possam promover um melhor desempenho acadêmico do aluno. Dentre as TICs, uma ferramenta que pode ser utilizada nas escolas com objetivos educacionais são os mundos virtuais 3D. Os mundos virtuais 3D apresentam algumas caraterísticas que merecem ser investigadas objetivando serem utilizadas na educação, tais como: imersão (sensação de presença), realismo e interação com o mundo virtual. Desta forma, os ambientes construídos nos mundos virtuais podem levar o aluno ao aumento de sua concentração e satisfação, o que, juntamente com outras características presentes, podem criar condições para o aluno alcançar o estado de Flow. Entendendo que a partir destas situações há um potencial educacional a ser explorado, este trabalho tem como objetivo investigar estratégias de design e suporte teórico, que forneça subsídio para a construção de laboratórios educacionais dentro dos mundos virtuais, e estes sejam; capazes de levar o aluno ao engajamento nas atividades propostas e consequentemente criar condições para que ele atinja o estado de Flow. Almeja-se mostrar com este trabalho que características como imersão, realismo e interação, presentes nos mundos virtuais, aliadas à construção de um ambiente com laboratórios educacionais engajadores e motivadores, e que permitam o registro das ações dos alunos em suas experiências, oportunizem identificar se as condições de entrada no estado de Flow se aplicam ao aluno. Assim, se buscará diferenciar os elementos que oportunizam estas condições e orientações para a criação de laboratórios educacionais em mundos virtuais; de modo que as atividades propostas nestes laboratórios possibilitem levar o aluno ao estado de Flow, uma vez que pesquisas têm indicado que o estado de Flow propicia melhor desempenho acadêmico.The Millennial generation has familiarity with Information and Communications Technology (ICT), they use devices connected to Wi-Fi networks, frequently access Internet and social networks, and are intensive users of computer games and video games. To these students, the utilization of digital resources and environments is a natural action in day-by-day. It is expected that education explore the student's technological domain to create situations in which students handle the digital resources and environments in school of similar way with those they manipulate daily. More, it awaited those educational designers projecting the digital resources and environments to promote better academic performance of students. Among the ICT, one tool that can be used in schools to achieve educational targets are 3D Virtual Worlds (VW). They present features that deserve to be investigated to application in the education, such as: immersion sensation, realism, and interaction with the virtual world. The environments created inside 3D Virtual Worlds could can lead the student to increase their concentration and satisfaction, which, jointly with others features existent in VW, could create conditions to student achieve the Flow state. Understanding that, from these situations exists one educational potential to be explored, this doctoral thesis proposal have as objective investigate the design strategies and the theoretical support, providing subsidies for the construction of educational laboratories inside 3D Virtual Worlds, which are capable of carry the pupil to engagement in the proposed activities and consequently generate conditions to he/she achieve the Flow state. This proposal aims show that features like realism, immersion sensation, and interaction, existent in 3D Virtual Worlds, allied with the construction of engaging and motivating educational laboratories, allow the record of student's actions in the lab experiences, enabling identify which are the conditions on that student achieve Flow state. This proposal searching differentiate the elements that guide to creation of the educational laboratories in 3D Virtual Worlds, so that the proposed activities in this laboratories enable to carry the student to Flow state, since others research had shown that the Flow state provides better academic performance