5 Ways Immersive Machine Simulations Enhance Engineering Education

As of 2023, the global engineering market is valued at $3.26 trillion with a CAGR of 5.55 from 2024 to 2030. The use of virtual reality in engineering education started in the late 1900s and the early 2000s. NASA was one of the earliest organizations to deploy VR into the STEM education domain.

immersive machine simulations are mainly used in areas like virtual prototyping, simulation of real-life experiences, and immersive simulation. VR for Engineering Market is expected to reach USD 13.4 Billion by the end of 2030.

Also, the revenue generated by education-focused VR software is predicted to exceed $300 million globally by 2024, indicating increasing demand for tailored VR solutions.

So why is the engineering industry rapidly adopting VR for pedagogical use? What are the challenges in traditional classroom settings that VR is helping resolve? Let’s find out.

Ways Simulation-based Learning Enhances Engineering Education

In a recent study conducted at the University of Sydney, the deployment of VR laboratories saw a 250% increase in student numbers. The faculty of engineering was responsible for 53% of the student engagement.

This remarkable growth shows the transformative impact that VR-based learning can have on engineering education.

Let us now see the top five ways in which immersive machine simulations in engineering are helping eliminate the challenges in STEM education across the world- 

Enhanced Understanding of Complex Concepts

By providing experiential and immersive 3D simulations, VR can make the understanding of complex concepts seamless for students.

When students interact with a subject rather than passively listening to it, they gain a deeper understanding of the subject and retain more knowledge. 

This is based on the educational theory of ‘active learning’. The roots of active learning are in Constructivism, which posits that learners need to construct their knowledge through experiential methods instead of just depending on passive learning.

For example, in “think-pair-share” activities, the learners, after learning some concept, discuss it with their peers and come up with their queries to the teacher

The Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of South California leverages this principle of simulation software for engineering to foster active learning. 

When it comes to civil engineering topics like structural designs and urban planning, the students can interact with the designs and this immersive experience makes learning easier for the students.

According to empirical research conducted by the University of Maryland in Beijing, students who learned with the help of VR scored an average of 93 in their board exams.

This was 20% more than what their counterparts could score with traditional instructional design.

Safe And Cost-Effective Experimentation

In colleges, immersive machine simulations help eliminate the real-life handling of hazardous wastes in the laboratories. They also reduce the need for expensive equipment, freeing colleges from financial constraints.

With simulation-based learning, students can also repeat the experiment as many times as they want to. Repetition learning is based on the principle of “cognitive reinforcements”.

According to this, repetition of concepts induces the formation of neural connections, leading to pathways that help retain the information better.

One of the best examples of the benefits of immersive machine simulations is the Chemical and biomolecular engineering kab at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Here, students put on their VR headsets and interact closely with the chemicals, which might have been hazardous in real life.

In this video, we can see how VR has simulated a distillation column, which is an integral part of a chemical laboratory.

The students can repeat the same experiment umpteen times, without the fear of any explosion taking place. This methodology provides hands-on virtual training to the students, providing them with in-depth knowledge.

➡Development of critical skills

The most important life skill that a learner learns by machine simulation is self-learning or self-experimentation.

According to statistics, the learners who self-learned through simulation methodologies had a retention rate of 20% higher than traditional learning methods. 

Let us take for example the industrial tours module at iXRLabs, which is used to teach engineering through modern tech. There is a self-explanatory mode, wherein the learner can learn about the machine by himself.

This VR education software module makes use of explicit immersion techniques to replicate complex equipment, like a thermal power engine.

The students can view the internal components like turbines, boilers, and cooling systems. Users can utilize 3D simulations and get a glimpse of the entire thermal cycle, starting from combustion to electricity production.

In colleges like the State Kent University, educators have been using Engineering simulation tools, to foster the development of critical skills across disciplines.

The machine simulations help engage the students in real-life scenarios, which fosters experiential learning.

Hence, students engage in authentic issues and solve them using their decision-making acumen. This also increases their optimization and troubleshooting abilities.

➡Global collaboration opportunities

Let us first take a look at the study model at the University of Central Florida.  It is recognized as a leader in simulation, immersive learning experiences, and virtual prototyping.

The school of modeling, simulation, and training at the college offers students the opportunity to engage in real-world projects like developing co-pilot avatars.

The McMaster University in Canada has deployed immersive machine simulations to enhance engineering education. 

The students can take part in immersive real-world projects and share their experiences with their peers using simulation software for engineering.

This makes way for teamwork even while sitting at home, and fosters effective collaboration between the learners.

Preparation for Industry Challenges

Today, industries demand several things from fresh engineering graduates like good communication skills, technical proficiency, hands-on skills and adaptability. 

Using VR for experiential learning, students can connect despite their geographical locations. They can collaborate with their peers in a controlled and safe Virtual learning environment and communicate their concerns freely.

The immersive experiences induced by VR sets increase the engagement rate of students. In a study conducted by PwC, 83% of the learners reported that they noticed a noticeable shift in their engagement levels after the implementation of VR-based engineering education.

The usage of instructional design involving engineering simulation tools also facilitates ‘differentiated learning’.

According to this methodology, each student has different paces when it comes to learning and acquiring knowledge.

Some prefer texts or visual elements, while others may look forward to learning by kinesthetic means or auditory tactics.  Innovative education through virtual machines reinforces the ‘multiple intelligence theory” and provides several modes for educators to teach with.

➡Summing up the key takeaways from this blog-

Using VR-based education and immersive learning experiences, students are able to comprehend complex concepts better by using immersive 3D solutions.

Experimenting in virtual labs is much safer since virtual reality labs eliminate the need for chemically hazardous waste and complex equipment.

Self-learning, problem-solving, and decision-making through realistic VR simulations are some of the essential skills that learners develop with the help of VR simulations.

VR-based education encourages global collaboration among learners by facilitating seamless communication and swift inquiry-based learning.

➡Final words

In the near future, all the major disciplines of engineering like civil, mechanical, aerospace, and electrical are predicated to fully adopt VR technology in delivering quality education to students.

According to a meta-analysis conducted recently, 36.84% of engineering students are already familiar with VR-based technologies in education, and 93% of educators believe that WAR would prove to be an effective teaching method for imparting engineering education in the future.

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