ERIC Number: EJ1006966
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jan
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0360-1315
EISSN: N/A
Teaching an Aerospace Engineering Design Course via Virtual Worlds: A Comparative Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Okutsu, Masataka; DeLaurentis, Daniel; Brophy, Sean; Lambert, Jason
Computers & Education, v60 n1 p288-298 Jan 2013
To test the concept of multiuser 3D virtual environments as media to teach semester-long courses, we developed a software prototype called Aeroquest. An aerospace design course--offered to 135 second-year students for university credits in Fall 2009--was divided into two groups: the real-world group attending lectures, physically, in a campus hall and the virtual-world group attending lectures, remotely, in Aeroquest. To date, numerous studies on the educational use of multiuser virtual environments have been reported in the literature. However, among studies on virtual-world-based courses, our investigation was one of the firsts to employ learning outcomes (rather than affective states) that were objectively measured (rather than subjectively reported) against a control group. We found that the virtual-world group achieved the performance benchmark, defined by the exam score of the real-world group, within a 95% confidence interval, suggesting the virtual worlds' untapped potential as a teaching platform in early engineering courses--especially for distance education. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)
Descriptors: Engineering, Engineering Education, Aerospace Education, Design, Outcomes of Education, Comparative Analysis, Virtual Classrooms, College Credits, Higher Education, Control Groups, Scores, Intervals, Distance Education, Computer Software
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A