Pedagogical Aspects of Virtual Reality Implementation in Mechanical Engineering Materials and Manufacturing Labs at Texas A&M, Engineering Pedagogy, Virtual Reality Aided Engineering Labs, Educational Content Development for Virtual Reality in Materials and Manufacturing Labs

1. Pedagogical Aspects of
Virtual Reality
Implementation in
Mechanical Engineering
Materials and Manufacturing
Labs at Texas A&M
Nazanin Afsar Kazerooni, Graduate Teaching Fellow, MEEN 361 Instructor of Record
Rachel Rebagay, Graduate Teaching Assistant, MEEN 361 Instructor
Tanil Ozkan, Instructional Assistant Prof. and Coordinator for MEEN 361
Arun Srinivasa, Associate Department Head of Mechanical Engineering
TWTC, 13th Annual -2017

2. The Age of 3D Printers
• 1970s: Prof. Herb Voelcker’s tools allowed designs to
go from screen to sheen with CNC tools via
“subtractive” prototyping [1]
• 1987: Carl Deckard devised SLS (selective laser
sintering) to build models by additive processing [1]
• 2009: MakerBot
released the first
commercially available
3D printer (FDM) [2]
• 3rd Industrial Revolution
2

3. Motivation for Implementation of 3D Printing
and VR/AR Applications
• STEM jobs will grow “faster than other jobs over the next
decade and will pay higher wages overall for qualified
employees” [3]
• “One of the most significant aspects of 3D printing for
education is that it enables more authentic exploration of
objects that may not be readily available to universities.” [2]
• 35% of all engineering jobs require 3D printing skills. [2]
• MEEN 361- Materials and Manufacturing Lab
3

4. 4
How are we planning to integrate extensive engineering 3D spatial
cognition and creation skill sets to the mechanical engineering
curriculum?
MEEN 210
(Geometric Modeling
for Mechanical
Design)
Course Competence to be gained by students
CAD, Geometry optimization, mesh
formation, surface tessalation, 3D spatial
cognition, 3D Printing
MEEN 360/361
(Materials and
Manufacturing in
Design)
3D content creation for product
development, 3D Scanning basics, rapid
prototyping, slicing and quality
assurance
MEEN 401/402
(Senior Design)
Implementation of all acquired 3D
spatial skill sets in various stages of
senior design projects.
MEEN 489/689
(Stacked undergrad/graduate level
advanced visualization courses)
Specialized course on
visualization and
simulations
Learning
Process
Staircase
Retention of Learning Achievements and Continuous
Progress throughout the Engineering Career

5. Current Teaching Methods
• Traditional (2D representations)
• Ball and stick method
• VMSE Callister (~2008, first interactive
learning modules)
• Provides an effective learning environment*
surpassing conventional methods, improving
understanding in the following:
– Nanoscale atomic arrangements and
interactions
– Nanoscale fracture mechanics and other
processes
5
https://goo.gl/vuU7gp
*Studies support the efficacy of interactive
learning modules for the initial materials
science concept inventory development.
Video based lab
module example:

6. So what are we missing?
– Provide the sense of sight
• According to Classen1 “Sight is held to be
the most important of the senses and the
sense most closely allied with reason.”
• Traditional methods
– Minimal interaction
– Minimal manipulation
6
• Hard to visualize processes
and perform calculations
• The more senses employed in
the learning process; the more
information retained by
students Source: Edutainment Technologies [1]

7. Assessment Results for various VR
Technologies
7
Alhalabi, W. S. (2016): Virtual reality systems enhance students’ achievements in
engineering education, Behaviour & Information Technology. Taylor & Francis.
Quizgrade(%)
• 48 students participated
• 4 groups
• 4 Quizzes: MCQs, short
answers, mathematics skill
and data interpretation
questions.
• Average scores:
• HMD: 93.5%
• CCS*: 86%
• HMD-ST: 77%
• No VR: < 70%
* Only 3 DOF

8. MEEN 3D Printing Studio
• Undergrad focused and staffed by students
• Can 3D print objects for class projects or
personal use
– 200g allotment of material
– PLA and ABS
8

9. 3D Printing Design Project
• Design a dogbone sample
with the highest strength to
weight ratio using CAD
software
• 3D print sample to be used
as the negative for the mold
cavity during casting
• Full design
process and
testing
9

10. 3D Scanning
• 3D scan a human hand
• Post processing required for 3D printing
• Limitations of 3D scanning and 3D printing
10

11. Welding Simulations
• Learning tool for
practicing and teaching
welding techniques
– Travel angle, arc speed,
straightness, etc.
– MIG, TIG, Stick
• Saves on material,
consumables, gas, and
energy costs
• Used as an introduction
to real welding
11

12. 12
Preliminary analysis of blindfolded educational impact assessment survey performed with
157 students indicates 63% of all students think that VR-based experimental modules are
very helpful and accelerate their learning process. An interesting outcome of the same study
is that when it comes to female students, this figure increases to 86%, which is an important
pedagogic outcome considering projected changes with the gender structure of the technical
workforce in the US. It is hypothesized that the immersive environment provides the opposite
gender with a more egalitarian perception of the psycho-dynamical surrounding in fields
traditionally associated with a certain gender and triggers such a response overlapping with
the outcomes of earlier experimental studies in the field of cybernetics. More evidence will be
needed to prove this hypothesis in the broad field engineering pedagogy. Another important
result of the survey conducted by the authors relates to success metrics: For students with
GPA smaller than 3.0, the positive feedback for virtual reality tools is 72%, whereas this
drops to 61% for students with GPA larger than 3.0. So, academically less successful
students seem to be benefiting more from the VR technology which underlines the
importance of this technology as an instructional tool. In simple terms, those who need it
more, gain more through VR implementation in class room.
Pedagogical Aspects of Virtual Reality Implementation in
Engineering Labs
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pedagogical-aspects-virtual-reality-implementation-mechanical-ozkan

13. Virtual Reality Based Prototyping
• CAD based virtual
prototyping
• Virtual reality design
space
13Pictures in the bottom row: Microsoft HoloLens Website [4]

14. Significance
• 3D printing, 3D scanning, and
VR are becoming more
common in industry
• Equip students for
entrepreneurship opportunities
• Keep students interested in
STEM fields
– Less than 40% of students
entering college in STEM fields
finish with a STEM degree [5]
– Design Contests: Stretch Your
Mind Engineering Challenge,
IAM3D Challenge of the ASME,
Aggies Invent 14

15. Next steps
15
• Develop the HMD-version of the
application for Google Cardboard.
• Prepare labs in VR mode, homologation
for ZEEC and TAMU-Q.
• Develop the pedagogic metrics and
evaluate student performance in VR.
• Get involved with textbook
publishers and organizations
specializing in engineering
education (ASEE, SEFI) (Long-
term goal).

16. Texas A&M is at the forefront of VR based instructional
technologies!
16
The gong of a
new era in
instructional
technologies.
VR/AR
technologies are
going to be
essential
components of
any kind of
instructional
effort in the
‘digital’ age.
© AutoDesk Stingray
Significance & Future Work

17. 17
Using Autodesk Stingray to build atomic structures in virtual reality to
‘guide’ the imagination of students for tough-to-imagine concepts so
that a deeper understanding of essential mechanisms in materials
behavior can be achieved.
© Ta Duong, MEEN 625
Mechanical Behavior of
Materials, based on modeling
approach discussed in:
Slip plane
© Justin McGinnety and Cody Piercey,
MEEN Instructional VR/AR Content
Development Lab
Dislocation
mobility
Ongoing Instructional Technology Development Project:

18. VR – What’s Next ?
Haptic feedback & multiuser interactions, also
personalized lessons through integrated artificial
intelligence
18
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/gear-vr/1272636489423125/

19. Acknowledgements
• Andreas A. Polycarpou, Mechanical Engineering Department Head
• Sharli Nucker, Director of Operations of Mechanical Engineering
• Dr. Bilal Mansoor, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M-Qatar
• Ali Sheharyar, Software Developer and Director of the CAVE Visualization
Center at TAMUQ
• Mitch Wittneben, Assistant Director of Dwight Look College of Engineering-
Information Technology
• Jason Charanza, MEEN 3D Printing Studio Director
• Yasushi Mizuno, MEEN 3D Printing Studio Lead Developer and Systems Tester
19

20. Acknowledgements
20
Tanil Ozkan, Justin McGinnety and Cody Piercey at the Mechanical Engineering
Instructional VR/AR Content Development Lab gratefully acknowledge the support
and contributions of the following individuals, companies and organizations:
• Jared Vanscoder, Education Program Manager, Autodesk Inc.
• Philip Jordan Cox, Former Academic Liaison of Autodesk to Texas A&M

21. References
[1] History of Additive Manufacturing, Terry Wohlers and Tim Gornet,
Wohler Report, 2014.
[2] http://pages.makerbot.com/rs/444-ZTM-866/images/3D-
Printing_Campus_Technology_White_paper.pdf
[3] Reshaping the Educational Environment for Tomorrow’s Workforce,
Richard M. Rhodes, Educause, 2015.
[4] http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/hololens/
[5] Freeman, S., Eddy, S., McDonough, M., Smith, M., Okoroafor, N., et
al., “Active learning increases student performance in science,
engineering, and mathematics”, PNAS, Vol. 111, No. 23, June 2014, pp.
8410.
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