Enhancing experiential learning through virtual reality: System design and a case study in additive manufacturing

The recent advancement in additive manufacturing (AM) leads to an extensive need for an industrial workforce in the near future. Workforce training in AM requires expensive capital investment for installing and maintaining this technology and proper knowledge about potential safety hazards. Traditional classroom settings often fail to bridge the critical gap between textbook learning and practical applications. Virtual reality (VR) training can simulate real-world scenarios in a safe and controlled environment and improve student involvement to foster practical learning. In this paper, a virtual training platform for 3D printing has been developed and studied to improve AM education. The developed environment contains a selective laser sintering printer, a preparation station with necessary supplies, a control panel for process planning, and a post-processing station. This platform provides students with excellent learning opportunities to gain hands-on experiences and critical engineering skills on operating process parameters and safety measures. Undergraduate students majoring in industrial engineering were exposed to this learning approach to enhance their engagement and cognitive processing skills. Students' attentions were measured using eye metrics (fixation duration and preference index), and their exposure experiences were collected through the simulation sickness questionnaire, presence questionnaire, and system usability scale. Pre- and post-VR training questionnaires and performance metrics (task completion time and accuracy) evaluated students' learning outcomes. Results provide valuable insights into students' attention, performance, and satisfaction with virtual training environments. Users' gaze behavior and subjective responses revealed many challenges that will help future researchers develop assistive instructions within this virtual educational platform.