Developing Augmented Reality Applications to Help Engineering Students Learn Spatial Structural Engineering Concepts

Ayatollah S Yehia; Devin K. Harris; Diana Bairaktarova

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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: Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL) Technical Session - Instructional Technology 2
Tagged Division: Civil Engineering Division (CIVIL)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47160

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Paper Authors

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Ayatollah S Yehia University of Virginia

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Ayatollah (Aya) Yehia is a Ph.D. student (Systems Engineering) in the i-S²EE Lab. She received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from the American University of Sharjah in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and a MSc in Civil Engineering (concentration: Transportation Engineering) from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. She is currently working on building a digital twin that utilizes data from multiple sensors for more holistic modeling and simulations for structural health monitoring.

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Devin K. Harris University of Virginia orcid.org/0000-0003-0086-1073

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Dr. Harris is a Professor of Civil Engineering within the Department of Engineering Systems at the University of Virginia (UVA). He is also the Director of the Center for Transportation Studies and a member of the Link Lab. Dr. Harris also hold

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Diana Bairaktarova Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Dr. Diana Bairaktarova is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Through real-world engineering applications, Dr. Bairaktarovaâ€™s experiential learning research spans from engineering to psychology to learning

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Abstract

In traditional mechanics-oriented classes, experience and the literature have shown that students are often challenged with conceptualizing complex three-dimensional behavior. Within the context of structural engineering and mechanics, the challenges manifest in scenarios related to linking three-dimensional behavior associated with linking this three-dimensional behavior with member response such as elastic buckling of columns and critical locations for shear and moment. While solutions such as props and videos have been used as examples in the past with some success, these tools do not spatially represent complex structural behaviors and are also limited to one-way interaction where the learner receives the information but cannot interact with the tools.

This project leverages mobile augmented reality (AR) designed to help students visualize complex behaviors (deformation, strain, and stress) structural components with various loading and boundary conditions. The tool, STRUCT-AR utilizes finite element models pre-loaded into a mobile AR application that allows users to interact and engage with the models on their mobile device or tablet. Our vision of this technology is to provide a complementary teaching tool for enhancing personalized learning wherein students can leverage the technology as a learning companion both within the classroom and outside to better understand structural behaviors and mechanisms that are challenging to convey in a traditional 2D learning environment. This study uses a pilot study to evaluate how undergraduate and graduate students who have previously taken an introductory course on structural system design perceived the app. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the usability of the app, its ability to improve spatial visualization ability, and to collect feedback on the app functionality. Study participants were asked to complete a pre and post-survey and the IBM Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire after engaging with the AR app on an iOS tablet. Results discuss how participants viewed the app in terms of its usability and usefulness and recommendations for tool refinement. Future work will be focused on conducting another pilot study after tool refinement before app deployment in a classroom setting.

Keywords: augmented reality, mixed reality, mobile augmented reality, structural design, structural mechanics, finite element method, visualization, personalized learning, engineering education

Citation
Format

Yehia, A. S., & Harris, D. K., & Bairaktarova, D. (2024, June), Developing Augmented Reality Applications to Help Engineering Students Learn Spatial Structural Engineering Concepts Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47160

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - In traditional mechanics-oriented classes, experience and the literature have shown that students are often challenged with conceptualizing complex three-dimensional behavior. Within the context of structural engineering and mechanics, the challenges manifest in scenarios related to linking three-dimensional behavior associated with linking this three-dimensional behavior with member response such as elastic buckling of columns and critical locations for shear and moment. While solutions such as props and videos have been used as examples in the past with some success, these tools do not spatially represent complex structural behaviors and are also limited to one-way interaction where the learner receives the information but cannot interact with the tools.  

This project leverages mobile augmented reality (AR) designed to help students visualize complex behaviors (deformation, strain, and stress) structural components with various loading and boundary conditions. The tool, STRUCT-AR utilizes finite element models pre-loaded into a mobile AR application that allows users to interact and engage with the models on their mobile device or tablet. Our vision of this technology is to provide a complementary teaching tool for enhancing personalized learning wherein students can leverage the technology as a learning companion both within the classroom and outside to better understand structural behaviors and mechanisms that are challenging to convey in a traditional 2D learning environment. This study uses a pilot study to evaluate how undergraduate and graduate students who have previously taken an introductory course on structural system design perceived the app. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the usability of the app, its ability to improve spatial visualization ability, and to collect feedback on the app functionality. Study participants were asked to complete a pre and post-survey and the IBM Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire after engaging with the AR app on an iOS tablet. Results discuss how participants viewed the app in terms of its usability and usefulness and recommendations for tool refinement. Future work will be focused on conducting another pilot study after tool refinement before app deployment in a classroom setting. 

Keywords: augmented reality, mixed reality, mobile augmented reality, structural design, structural mechanics, finite element method, visualization, personalized learning, engineering education  
AU  - Ayatollah S Yehia
AU  - Devin K. Harris
AU  - Diana Bairaktarova
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Developing Augmented Reality Applications to Help Engineering Students Learn Spatial Structural Engineering Concepts
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47160
ER  -