Board 6: Collaborative Research: vObjects - Understanding their Utility to Enhance Learning of Abstract and Complex Engineering Concepts

Diana Bairaktarova; Scott T. Huxtable; Sathyanarayanan Subramanian; Zahed Siddique

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Conference: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
Start Date: June 23, 2018
End Date: July 27, 2018
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topic: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 6
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--30068
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/30068
Download Count: 438

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Paper Authors

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Diana Bairaktarova Virginia Tech

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Diana Bairaktarova is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech and the Director of the Abilities, Creativity and Ethics in Design [ACE(D)]Lab. Bairaktarova's ongoing research interest spans from engineering to psychology to learning sciences, as she uncovers how individual performance and professional decisions are influenced by aptitudes and abilities, interest, and manipulation of physical and virtual objects.

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Scott T. Huxtable Virginia Tech

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Sathyanarayanan Subramanian Virginia Tech orcid.org/0000-0002-4403-7345

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I am a Graduate Mechanical Engineer at Virginia Tech, specializing in Thermal-Fluid Sciences.

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Zahed Siddique University of Oklahoma

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Zahed Siddique is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering of University of Oklahoma. His research interest include product family design, advanced material and engineering education. He is interested in motivation of engineering students, peer-to-peer learning, flat learning environments, technology assisted engineering education and experiential learning. He is the coordinator of the industry sponsored capstone from at his school and is the advisor of OU's FSAE team.

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Abstract

Physical objects help learning with both well-defined and ill-structured problems. However, in many instances, the use of physical objects in instruction can be restrictive, especially when the concepts are abstract. Thermodynamics is a subject replete with abstract concepts, which are often hard for students to understand. Many problems that students encounter in thermodynamics instruction involve ill-structured problems. Furthermore, the scale of constructed thermodynamic artifacts makes it difficult, if not impossible, for students to interact with authentic objects. This study investigates how the manipulation of virtual objects can help students translate foundational knowledge to solve ill-structured problems in thermodynamics. The virtual objects (vObjects) project will contribute to the situative learning by closely mapping the learner experience to a real-life scenario.

Advances in technology will allow for us to improve how virtual learning is done in the future. Improving virtual and online means to enhance engineering education can provide a significant benefit to society. A comprehensive understanding of the utility of virtual objects in engineering can contribute to the development of online engineering learning environments, including augmented reality environments that closely mimic the use of objects to increase engagement and retention.

Our project is at the beginning of the development of the virtual learning environment The poster we plan on presenting at the ASEE conference will include the development and finalization of the virtual environment that will cover various concepts involved in the creation of a thermal power plan. The virtual learning environment is developing by the use of LabView.

Initial work started with the selection of three countries, which have energy bugging issues - Jamaica, Panama, and Rwanda. We are currently creating the essential elements required to construct a power plant, such as social, economic, cultural and environmental data of each country. At these sub-sites of the virual learning environment, students will be provided in an easy-to-analyze form data (such as maps, charts, graphs, and tables). Each aspect mentioned above are presented in separate windows (as a sub-VI in LabView) and are navigated using button available at the main window.

In addition to the statistical data for each country, the virtual learning environment will also include the concepts and set of formulas for calculations involved in Rankine cycle, the thermodynamic cycle based on which the power plant works. The learning environment will include a separate window that explains the various stages of the power generation using Rankine cycle in the form of animations and videos. Additionally, the P-v (pressure vs specific volume) and h-s (enthalpy vs entropy) graphs depicting the Rankine cycle will be added to provide thermodynamic concepts involved in each system of the power plant. Finally, the virtual learning environment will include a calculator, with inbuilt steam table (database with thermodynamic properties of steam) to enable calculation of the cycle and component efficiency of the power plant.

Citation
Format

Bairaktarova, D., & Huxtable, S. T., & Subramanian, S., & Siddique, Z. (2018, June), Board 6: Collaborative Research: vObjects - Understanding their Utility to Enhance Learning of Abstract and Complex Engineering Concepts Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30068

TY - CPAPER
AB - Physical objects help learning with both well-defined and ill-structured problems. However, in many instances, the use of physical objects in instruction can be restrictive, especially when the concepts are abstract. Thermodynamics is a subject replete with abstract concepts, which are often hard for students to understand. Many problems that students encounter in thermodynamics instruction involve ill-structured problems. Furthermore, the scale of constructed thermodynamic artifacts makes it difficult, if not impossible, for students to interact with authentic objects. This study investigates how the manipulation of virtual objects can help students translate foundational knowledge to solve ill-structured problems in thermodynamics. The virtual objects (vObjects) project will contribute to the situative learning by closely mapping the learner experience to a real-life scenario.

Advances in technology will allow for us to improve how virtual learning is done in the future. Improving virtual and online means to enhance engineering education can provide a significant benefit to society. A comprehensive understanding of the utility of virtual objects in engineering can contribute to the development of online engineering learning environments, including augmented reality environments that closely mimic the use of objects to increase engagement and retention.

Our project is at the beginning of the development of the virtual learning environment The poster we plan on presenting at the ASEE conference will include the development and finalization of the virtual environment that will cover various concepts involved in the creation of a thermal power plan. The virtual learning environment is developing by the use of LabView.

Initial work started with the selection of three countries, which have energy bugging issues - Jamaica, Panama, and Rwanda. We are currently creating the essential elements required to construct a power plant, such as social, economic, cultural and environmental data of each country. At these sub-sites of the virual learning environment, students will be provided in an easy-to-analyze form data (such as maps, charts, graphs, and tables). Each aspect mentioned above are presented in separate windows (as a sub-VI in LabView) and are navigated using button available at the main window.

In addition to the statistical data for each country, the virtual learning environment will also include the concepts and set of formulas for calculations involved in Rankine cycle, the thermodynamic cycle based on which the power plant works. The learning environment will include a separate window that explains the various stages of the power generation using Rankine cycle in the form of animations and videos. Additionally, the P-v (pressure vs specific volume) and h-s (enthalpy vs entropy) graphs depicting the Rankine cycle will be added to provide thermodynamic concepts involved in each system of the power plant. Finally, the virtual learning environment will include a calculator, with inbuilt steam table (database with thermodynamic properties of steam) to enable calculation of the cycle and component efficiency of the power plant.

AU - Diana Bairaktarova
AU - Scott T. Huxtable
AU - Sathyanarayanan Subramanian
AU - Zahed Siddique
CY - Salt Lake City, Utah
DA - 2018/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 6: Collaborative Research: vObjects - Understanding their Utility to Enhance Learning of Abstract and Complex Engineering Concepts
UR - https://peer.asee.org/30068
DO - 10.18260/1-2--30068
ER -