The Perceptions and Attitudes of Faculty Members at Jordanian Higher Education Institutions toward the use of Virtual Reality in Teaching Practical Engineering Experiments

Abstract

Due to the current circumstances of the Corona pandemic, the world has resorted to stopping direct learning and has shifted toward e- learning. However, there appeared obstacles encountered in the e-learning process, namely the practical skills and laboratory experiments that students need to supplement the teaching process. Virtual Reality (VR) techniques can provide models for experimentation with low cost in addition to the time factor savings. The main goal is for adopting an idea to use virtual reality software programs in designing scientific experiments as an alternative method for direct teaching of laboratories. In this study, the perceptions, attitudes and future aspiration of the faculty members of engineering colleges take by questionnaire about the ability to use virtual reality technology in the implementation and design of practical experiments and achieving the targeted educational outcomes.The results showed a low percentage use of VR in teaching engineering experiments because this is a new technology and there is a shortage of infrastructures such as equipment, hardware and software in addition to unavailability of workshops and training courses for faculty members and laboratory supervisors. The results also revealed positive perceptions about the importance of VR in distance learning and negative attitudes in adopting VR as an alternative method of teaching engineering experiments.