Motivation through Collaborative Virtual Reality Environments Earthwork Exercises

Finding means to motivate students to learn is rather difficult as each student has different needs when it comes to getting motivated. In most classroom settings, the only motivation for a student is the letter grade based on the performance of pen and paper pedagogy, which is given at the end of the school year. While this is enough motivation for some students, other students need more of a hands-on method for learning. Through the use of an emerging technology, Collaborative Virtual Reality Environments, students are provided with another method of motivation where they see immediate results of their actions and the pen and paper pedagogy can be reinforced. This paper discusses measuring the motivation of an excavation training simulator implemented for Purdue University

Use of Automated Machine Guidance within the Transportation Industry

Automated machine guidance (AMG) links sophisticated design software with construction equipment to direct the operations of construction machinery with a high level of precision, and improve the speed and accuracy of the construction process. AMG technology has the potential to improve the overall quality, safety, and efficiency of transportation project construction. This research project was undertaken to study AMG implementation barriers and develop strategies for effective implementation of AMG technology in construction operations. Early in the research effort, an expert contact group was established to obtain perspectives from agencies, contractors, designers, and equipment manufacturers. An AMG workshop was conducted to develop a list of capabilities that must exist and obstacles that must be overcome to facilitate seamless electronic data transfer—from the initial surveying, to the development of digital terrain models (DTMs), through design and construction, to final inspection and verification. The synthesis from the workshop helped provide a framework and content for completing the research. Summarized here are some of the key findings from this research project.https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/landscapearchitecture_books/1000/thumbnail.jp

Application Case Study of Mobile Computing To Decrease Paperwork at Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) Construction Site

Compared to other industries, Construction is one of the slowest industries to benefit from information technology (IT) implementation. Some companies, especially small companies, still prefer paper-based operations over web-based. This can be contributed to several reasons such as costs of training, software and so on. One of the fields in which IT can be applied is Management Information Systems (MIS) for construction sites. The focus of this paper is to discuss a webbased system that can improve Management Information Systems by decreasing paper-based processes on construction sites. The paper is based on a case study of the XYZ Contractor Company. This company is one of the two companies that worked on Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) that was established for the purpose of stabilizing communities that have suffered from foreclosures and abandonment. This paper also introduces a possible approach to include Mobile Computing in the classroom to prepare construction Management students to utilize this technology in the field. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2013

Impact of distributed virtual reality on engineering knowledge retention and student engagement

Ph.D.Nelson Bake

Knowledge Management for Plant Shutdown in Collaborative Virtual Reality

International audienceOil refineries run nearly continuously twenty-four hours a day. The process of doing routine maintenance, adding or rebuilding refinery process rigs and powering down is referred to as "shutdown". Refineries are extraordinarily complicated and shutdowns are therefore very problematic and expensive. Poorly planned or executed shutdown can result in loss of life and millions of dollars of lost productivity. There is also an important collaborative and knowledge management aspect in that all shutdowns involve many people and are executed by temporary contractors who are often unfamiliar with the details of the plant they are shutting down.Commonly, text and two dimensional drawings are used in preparation for a plant shutdown and exchanging of information. However, with the advent of new technologies it is now possible to also exchange knowledge three dimensionally including multimedia and dynamic files. One technology that enhances the knowledge exchanging and management is Collaborative Virtual Reality Environment (CVRE). CVREs allow users to interact with a computer-simulated environment, be it a real or imagined while using the Internet to collaborate and interact with possibly many other users that may be spread over large distances.Virtual Reality has been widely applied in various forms to plant shutdown planning but the knowledge management aspect of the process is not being addressed by these technologies. In this paper we describe the early use and underlying details of an innovation implantation of a Collaborative Virtual Whiteboard (CVW) inside of an CVR

Teaching Marketing Through a Micro-Economy In Virtual Reality

Teaching retailing principles to students is a challenge because although real-world wholesale and retail decision making very heavily depends on dynamic conditions, classroom exercises are limited to abstract discussions and role-playing. This article describes two interlocking class projects taught using the virtual reality of secondlife.com, which allowed students to use their recently gained skills in wholesaling and retailing. The exercises provided students with unique educational experiences without the need of bricks and mortar product development, wholesale, or retail spaces. This spurred students\u27 creativity and entrepreneurship. Students described the simulations as fun and interesting. Students also reported a greater depth of learning as a result of participating in the virtual simulation. This article describes the interdisciplinary team efforts to develop educational experiences for students. It also uses previous research in virtual reality implementation for classroom use to provide a framework for assessing the credibility of the set of assignments. © The Author(s) 2011