Integrating Extended Reality in undergraduate engineering programmes: operational feasibility and descriptive analysis of student perspectives

Abstract

Today, Extended Reality (XR) technologies are exceedingly integrated into Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industries for collaboratively reviewing product design and development tasks. Reported study in this paper aims at integrating XR technologies in undergraduate programmes. This paper provides a descriptive analysis of students’ perspectives on utilising XR technologies for a collaborative product review process. The integration approach was evaluated by a pilot study, followed by capturing students’ experience using a survey. Results examine pedagogical positioning of XR technology within Mechanical and Aircraft Engineering Programmes. Operational feasibility of this approach was evaluated while reviewing contradicting views presented in the literature review. Descriptive analysis indicates that adaption time and capabilities of XR visualisation tools can latently influence i) students’ perception on their learning; ii) their appreciation of XR technology and iii) desired (XR assisted) communication skills required for a collaborative product review process. The study’s findings suggest that the successful implementation of experiential learning in CAD-focused modules using appropriate XR visualisation tools require discipline-specific XR visualisation capabilities. Students recognised the benefits of XR, though some remained neutral towards objective statements. The authors suggest that overall learning outcomes were influenced by the XR visualisation capabilities for reviewing complex mechanical products and the time students had to actively engage with the technology.