Evaluation of a virtual reality (VR) learning tool for fundamental turbine engineering concepts

Abstract

The education industry have evolved to meet the expectations of current technological trend. The field of mechanical engineering involves the study, design, development, construction, and testing of tools, engines, and machines. One of the critical equipment in the area of power plant engineering is the turbine, which are used to generate power. Students are taught to understand the drawings of these turbines through books or videos and occasionally visit the power plant site. This approach may not be appealing to the digital natives as they prefer to use technology to touch, feel and see the aspects of the turbine at any given time. The lack of engagement, shrinking attention span and obsession with digital devices amongst the younger generation have caused educators to experiment with various means of teaching techniques in ensuring that knowledge is successfully imparted. Hence, this paper provide results of a pilot study on a usability evaluation conducted on a group of undergraduate students to analyze the usability of a virtual reality (VR) application using the System Usability Scale (SUS) instrument. The study also aims to find out if there are any significant differences among gender and computer gamers in using the VR tool. Results indicate that the VR application requires further enhancement in terms of self-learning and interaction familiarity. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.