ASEE PEER - Enhancing Engineering Education Through Hands-on Virtual Reality Training Experiences: Developing Skills in the Continuous Improvement of Manufacturing Systems
Asee peer logo

Enhancing Engineering Education Through Hands-on Virtual Reality Training Experiences: Developing Skills in the Continuous Improvement of Manufacturing Systems

Download Paper |

Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

Industrial Engineering Division (IND) Technical Session 4

Tagged Division

Industrial Engineering Division (IND)

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/47304

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

David Parsley University of Kentucky Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-0251-7727

visit author page

David Parsley is an Assistant Professor in the Fujio Cho Department of Engineering Technology. He has been appointed as the Toyota Engineering Technology Fellow and the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Lean Systems Engineering Technology degree. Before this role, David was an Industry Extension Specialist who was responsible for facilitating the professional Lean Systems Certification at the University of Kentucky. During this time he also supported the implementation of standardization, systematic problem solving, and lean model area development within various manufacturing organizations.

Before joining the University of Kentucky, he worked in heavy equipment manufacturing where he assisted in the development and implementation of lean production systems within two manufacturing facilities. At these sites, he was responsible for developing production layouts to support continuous flow throughout operations. David holds three engineering degrees, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Masters of Science in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

visit author page

Download Paper |

Abstract

The integration of Virtual Reality (VR) training experiences into engineering education allows for a transformative teaching approach, allowing instructors the opportunity to expose students to a variety of immersive and interactive learning environments within the classroom setting. This paper explores the utilization of VR technology in the classroom as a means to facilitate student learning of continuous improvement applications within manufacturing. The application of continuous improvement techniques is a core competency for engineering students interested in a career in manufacturing. Employers place a high value on these skills with the aim of optimizing product quality and process efficiency in order to remain competitive in the global marketplace. In this paper, the authors will discuss the design, implementation, and assessment of a VR-based educational module developed to immerse engineering students in a virtual manufacturing environment. In this VR environment, students will engage in hands-on experiences that simulate various real-world manufacturing processes and apply continuous improvement practices to visualize and quantify the impact of these changes on the VR manufacturing system. The objectives of the module are to enhance students' understanding of concepts related to continuous improvement, introduce practical problem-solving skills, and encourage critical thinking in relation to manufacturing excellence. The findings of this paper provide insights into whether the integration of VR training experiences in the classroom can enhance students' comprehension of continuous improvement in manufacturing. By providing evidence to the efficacy of this innovative pedagogical method, this paper contributes to the advancement of engineering education by exploring the application of VR technology to support educating the next generation of engineers.

Parsley, D. (2024, June), Enhancing Engineering Education Through Hands-on Virtual Reality Training Experiences: Developing Skills in the Continuous Improvement of Manufacturing Systems Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47304

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2024 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015