Virtual Reality Workshop for Massive Laboratory Learning Experience of Engineering Students

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has the potential to revolutionize engineering education by providing students with real-world simulation scenarios. This paper presents a user study to measure the effectiveness of VR applications in teaching technical representation and machine elements to first-year mechanical, energy, and aerospace engineering students. The VR application was designed to immerse the students in a virtual mechanical workshop where they could interact with a 3D model of a gearbox and access task instructions and technical drawings through an interactive whiteboard. A total of 448 students voluntarily participated in the one-hour lecture and were divided into groups of two to use the available 15 headsets. The study was assessed by analyzing the log files and their answers to a satisfaction and usability questionnaire. The results indicated that the VR application was an effective supplement to traditional instruction, as the students reported that it helped them better understand technical representation concepts and made the learning experience more enjoyable.