Use of Virtual Reality to Improve Learning Experience on a Lean Manufacturing Course

Gibrán Sayeg-Sánchez; Nicolás Amado-Moranchel; Andres Esteban Acero

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Industrial Engineering Division (IND) Technical Session 4
Tagged Division: Industrial Engineering Division (IND)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48221

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Paper Authors

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Gibrán Sayeg-Sánchez Tecnologico de Monterrey

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Dr. Gibrán Sayeg-Sánchez is professor – consultant in the Science Department in Tecnologico de Monterrey, Puebla campus. He studied a PhD in Financial Science in EGADE Business School (2016), a MSc in Industrial Engineering in Tecnologico de Monterrey (2011), and a BEng in Industrial and Systems Engineering in Tecnologico de Monterrey (2006). Dr. Sayeg-Sánchez has more than 11 years of experience in teaching statistics, mathematics, and operations research; and more than 13 years of experience in Operational Excellence consulting. His current research interests are focused in educational innovation and educational technologies.

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Nicolás Amado-Moranchel Tecnologico de Monterrey

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Prof. Nicolás Amado-Moranchel got his B.Sc. In Mechanical Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Puebla. He studied a M.Sc. In Manufacturing Systems at Tecnológico de Monterrey. In August 2004 he joined Tecnológico de Monterrey, Puebla Campus. He is a full-time professor in the Science Department since 2020. Prof. Nicolás Amado-Moranchel has more than 15 years of experience in teaching statics, mathematics, and physics. His current research interests are focused on educational innovation and educational technologies.

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Andres Esteban Acero Tecnologico de Monterrey

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Andrés Acero is professor at Tecnologico de Monterrey and holds a PhD of Engineering at Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree on Industrial Engineering from the same academic institution. His research interest lie in the area of applications of operations research, industrial ecology and systems science, ranging from theory to modelling to implementation.

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Abstract

Introduction A common limitation for students learning Lean Manufacturing is the lack of laboratories, real-world experiences or available processes for implementing lean tools and measuring the impact on KPI’s. In OUR UNIVERSITY, Industrial Engineering students learn concepts such as Visual Management, Poka Yoke, Manufacturing Cells and Kanban in the “Design of Innovative Processes”, in which participants design and plan the implementation of Lean tools within a real company. Nevertheless, due to the courses only having four to five weeks to work with the company, the actual implementation of these tools is not performed completely, so the students don’t see the results. Recognizing these challenges, this paper explores an innovative use of virtual reality to simulate a manufacturing process and to implement Lean tools within a controlled environment. The aim of the study is to assess the impact that performing lean projects in Virtual Reality has on the students’ comprehension of lean implementation methodologies.

Literature Research Previous studies about the training in Lean Manufacturing of engineering and business students have shown that implementation phase on projects is a key factor for the success of improvement initiatives [1]. However, participation of individuals in proper training and the attitude towards learning is strongly related to the perception of usefulness, the perceived benefits [2] and the integration of fun features in the education programs [3]. A possible way to achieve an educational structure in which application is perceived as fun and palpable is the integration of active, experiential learning to Lean Manufacturing training, in which students put in practice the conceptual framework by performing actual improvement activities [4]. Unfortunately, this kind of approach often requires investment in infrastructure and facilities to experiment Lean tools, which make necessary to look for new content delivery techniques that allow both, the conceptual and technical frameworks of Lean, to be learned [5]. Therefore, one of the newest methodologies that has transformed education is Virtual Reality. Its implementation in the educational field has been proven in several contexts, offering countless advantages for both students and teachers. One of the most outstanding benefits lies in its ability to provide immersive and realistic experiences [6], making it significantly easier for students to understand and retain complex concepts and methodologies. This technology allows students to explore and experience virtual environments that would otherwise be inaccessible or dangerous [9], thereby significantly expanding learning opportunities and enriching the educational experience [5]. Another key advantage is its encouragement of active, hands-on learning. Students can interact with virtual environments, manipulate objects [7], and engage in hands-on activities, which stimulates critical thinking, problem-solving, and experiential learning. This active interaction with educational content increases students' engagement in the learning process and enhances their understanding and application of concepts. In addition to the above-mentioned advantages, the use of virtual reality in education increased intrinsic motivation and engagement of the students. They believe that they are more active, can keep their attention better and enjoy the experience of relevant situations in a virtual environment [8]. The immersive nature of virtual reality captures students' attention and motivates them to actively participate in the learning process.

Methodology A virtual factory, using the software Framevr.io, was designed, in which the students can implement Lean Tools and Techniques to improve the current configuration and operations of the space. This virtual environment comprises 5 operations in a factory of geometrical shapes. The operations involved, in order of execution, were Shape Creation, Labeling, Scaling, Paint, and Assembly. The virtual space was full of waste and improvement opportunities, such as wasted space, unnecessary items in shop floor, long trajectories between operations, unbalanced activities, excess of inventory, among others. The implementation process of the study was divided into three phases taking place during a week: Pretest, Lean tools execution in Virtual Reality, and Post test. During the first phase, students answered a 12 questions multiple choice quiz. Each question was designed to capture the comprehension of students of lean principles and tools utilization. Afterwards, students were asked to explore the Virtual Reality manufacturing process for three days and to redesign it according to Pull-flow. In this phase, students had to perform a current and future state VSM, to calculate key measurements such as WIP, Lead Time, Takt Time, Cycle Time, and Yield. Then, students had to implement at least four lean tools to pursue the future state, and to compare the key metrics under the new operation conditions. Finally, on day five, students answered a similar multiple-choice quiz related to lean tools implementation methodologies and practical issues.

Discussion and Conclusion After the end of the experience, an exit survey was carried out with the aim of evaluating the students' perception of the use of Virtual Reality. The questions focused on ease of use, overall experience, and level of immersion in Virtual Reality. The results revealed that Virtual Reality is perceived as a tool that is easy to understand by students; and that the experience was rated as pleasurable, interesting, and highly immersive for the students. In addition, the results of the pre – post test study, in which the performance level of the students in lean manufacturing concepts was recorded, were analyzed using a paired sample difference of means. The results show a significant improvement in the post test, with a p-value of 0.043. These findings support the idea that the implementation of Virtual Reality can be beneficial in achieving a deeper and more effective understanding of the principles and tools of Lean Manufacturing. The hands-on and visual experience provided by Virtual Reality can contribute significantly to a better understanding of improvement project implementation. The results obtained in this study will be useful for professors interested in enriching the learning of students, in topics related to Lean Manufacturing, and practitioners interested in creating learning experiences for employees and training sessions. Furthermore, the exit survey confirms that students find Virtual Reality easy to use, pleasurable and immersive in their learning experience.

Citation
Format

Sayeg-Sánchez, G., & Amado-Moranchel, N., & Acero, A. E. (2024, June), Use of Virtual Reality to Improve Learning Experience on a Lean Manufacturing Course Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48221

TY - CPAPER
AB - Introduction
A common limitation for students learning Lean Manufacturing is the lack of laboratories, real-world experiences or available processes for implementing lean tools and measuring the impact on KPI’s. In OUR UNIVERSITY, Industrial Engineering students learn concepts such as Visual Management, Poka Yoke, Manufacturing Cells and Kanban in the “Design of Innovative Processes”, in which participants design and plan the implementation of Lean tools within a real company. Nevertheless, due to the courses only having four to five weeks to work with the company, the actual implementation of these tools is not performed completely, so the students don’t see the results.
Recognizing these challenges, this paper explores an innovative use of virtual reality to simulate a manufacturing process and to implement Lean tools within a controlled environment. The aim of the study is to assess the impact that performing lean projects in Virtual Reality has on the students’ comprehension of lean implementation methodologies.

Literature Research
Previous studies about the training in Lean Manufacturing of engineering and business students have shown that implementation phase on projects is a key factor for the success of improvement initiatives [1]. However, participation of individuals in proper training and the attitude towards learning is strongly related to the perception of usefulness, the perceived benefits [2] and the integration of fun features in the education programs [3].
A possible way to achieve an educational structure in which application is perceived as fun and palpable is the integration of active, experiential learning to Lean Manufacturing training, in which students put in practice the conceptual framework by performing actual improvement activities [4]. Unfortunately, this kind of approach often requires investment in infrastructure and facilities to experiment Lean tools, which make necessary to look for new content delivery techniques that allow both, the conceptual and technical frameworks of Lean, to be learned [5].
Therefore, one of the newest methodologies that has transformed education is Virtual Reality. Its implementation in the educational field has been proven in several contexts, offering countless advantages for both students and teachers. One of the most outstanding benefits lies in its ability to provide immersive and realistic experiences [6], making it significantly easier for students to understand and retain complex concepts and methodologies. This technology allows students to explore and experience virtual environments that would otherwise be inaccessible or dangerous [9], thereby significantly expanding learning opportunities and enriching the educational experience [5].
Another key advantage is its encouragement of active, hands-on learning. Students can interact with virtual environments, manipulate objects [7], and engage in hands-on activities, which stimulates critical thinking, problem-solving, and experiential learning. This active interaction with educational content increases students&#39; engagement in the learning process and enhances their understanding and application of concepts.
In addition to the above-mentioned advantages, the use of virtual reality in education increased intrinsic motivation and engagement of the students. They believe that they are more active, can keep their attention better and enjoy the experience of relevant situations in a virtual environment [8]. The immersive nature of virtual reality captures students&#39; attention and motivates them to actively participate in the learning process.

Methodology
A virtual factory, using the software Framevr.io, was designed, in which the students can implement Lean Tools and Techniques to improve the current configuration and operations of the space. This virtual environment comprises 5 operations in a factory of geometrical shapes. The operations involved, in order of execution, were Shape Creation, Labeling, Scaling, Paint, and Assembly. The virtual space was full of waste and improvement opportunities, such as wasted space, unnecessary items in shop floor, long trajectories between operations, unbalanced activities, excess of inventory, among others.
The implementation process of the study was divided into three phases taking place during a week: Pretest, Lean tools execution in Virtual Reality, and Post test. During the first phase, students answered a 12 questions multiple choice quiz. Each question was designed to capture the comprehension of students of lean principles and tools utilization. Afterwards, students were asked to explore the Virtual Reality manufacturing process for three days and to redesign it according to Pull-flow. In this phase, students had to perform a current and future state VSM, to calculate key measurements such as WIP, Lead Time, Takt Time, Cycle Time, and Yield. Then, students had to implement at least four lean tools to pursue the future state, and to compare the key metrics under the new operation conditions. Finally, on day five, students answered a similar multiple-choice quiz related to lean tools implementation methodologies and practical issues.

Discussion and Conclusion
After the end of the experience, an exit survey was carried out with the aim of evaluating the students&#39; perception of the use of Virtual Reality. The questions focused on ease of use, overall experience, and level of immersion in Virtual Reality. The results revealed that Virtual Reality is perceived as a tool that is easy to understand by students; and that the experience was rated as pleasurable, interesting, and highly immersive for the students.
In addition, the results of the pre – post test study, in which the performance level of the students in lean manufacturing concepts was recorded, were analyzed using a paired sample difference of means. The results show a significant improvement in the post test, with a p-value of 0.043. These findings support the idea that the implementation of Virtual Reality can be beneficial in achieving a deeper and more effective understanding of the principles and tools of Lean Manufacturing. The hands-on and visual experience provided by Virtual Reality can contribute significantly to a better understanding of improvement project implementation.
The results obtained in this study will be useful for professors interested in enriching the learning of students, in topics related to Lean Manufacturing, and practitioners interested in creating learning experiences for employees and training sessions. Furthermore, the exit survey confirms that students find Virtual Reality easy to use, pleasurable and immersive in their learning experience.

AU - Gibrán Sayeg-Sánchez
AU - Nicolás Amado-Moranchel
AU - Andres Esteban Acero
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Use of Virtual Reality to Improve Learning Experience on a Lean Manufacturing Course
UR - https://peer.asee.org/48221
ER -