An Immersive Virtual Experimental Teaching Platform for Control Engineering: Design, Implementation, and Empirical Validation

IF 2.2 3区工程技术 Q3 COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS

Computer Applications in Engineering Education Pub Date : 2026-03-09 DOI:10.1002/cae.70175

Yulong Bai, Xiang Jia, Xiaoxin Yue, Xinyue Zhang, Zean Jin, Xianbao Tan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Traditional control-engineering laboratories face cost, safety, and access constraints. Screen-based simulations offer limited realism and feedback. This study introduces an immersive Virtual Experimental Teaching Platform for Control Engineering (VETP-CE). The VETP-CE enables students to construct circuits, adjust control parameters, and observe real-time system responses within an interactive three-dimensional environment. A quasi-experimental study with 63 undergraduates compared the VR platform with a traditional laboratory. Learning outcomes were measured by pre/post-tests. Cognitive load was assessed in both groups, and user engagement was surveyed in the VR group. Results show larger post-test gains for the VR group and lower cognitive load than the control group (t = −2.313, p = 0.026). Within the VR group, user-engagement dimensions were negatively correlated with mental load and mental effort (r = −0.75 to − 0.89, p < 0.01). These findings indicate that well-designed immersive interaction supports cognitive regulation and improves learning efficiency in control-engineering laboratories. The work offers a replicable approach and design guidance for deploying VR laboratories in engineering curricula.

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控制工程沉浸式虚拟实验教学平台：设计、实现与实证验证

传统的控制工程实验室面临成本、安全和访问限制。基于屏幕的模拟只能提供有限的真实感和反馈。本研究介绍一种沉浸式控制工程虚拟实验教学平台（VETP-CE）。VETP-CE使学生能够在交互式三维环境中构建电路，调整控制参数并观察实时系统响应。一项由63名大学生参与的准实验研究将VR平台与传统实验室进行了比较。学习成果通过前后测试来衡量。两组都评估了认知负荷，VR组调查了用户参与度。结果显示，与对照组相比，VR组的测试后收益更大，认知负荷更低（t = - 2.313, p = 0.026）。在VR组中，用户参与维度与心理负荷和心理努力呈负相关（r = - 0.75至- 0.89,p < 0.01）。这些发现表明，在控制工程实验室中，设计良好的沉浸式交互支持认知调节并提高学习效率。这项工作为在工程课程中部署VR实验室提供了可复制的方法和设计指导。

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来源期刊

Computer Applications in Engineering Education 工程技术-工程：综合

CiteScore

7.20

自引率

10.30%

发文量

100

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Computer Applications in Engineering Education provides a forum for publishing peer-reviewed timely information on the innovative uses of computers, Internet, and software tools in engineering education. Besides new courses and software tools, the CAE journal covers areas that support the integration of technology-based modules in the engineering curriculum and promotes discussion of the assessment and dissemination issues associated with these new implementation methods.