Spatial Augmented Reality for Collaborative Learning: Improving Architectural and Civil Engineering Education with Immersive Group Learning Experiences

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving how architectural and civil engineering students learn abstract engineering concepts and develop knowledge about how to design buildings, bridges, and other large-scale structures. It seeks to build the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry sector by supporting a workforce with increased proficiency in structural design. The educational enhancements to be developed and tested in this Level 1 Engaged Student Learning project rely on immersive group learning activities designed to help students to comprehend fundamental engineering concepts and to visualize solutions to complex structural design problems without reliance on mathematical formulas. The pedagogy, technology, and methodology for designing these types of learning experiences could be applied to other curricula, suggesting that this research has significant potential for broader impacts on undergraduate STEM education in a range of disciplines that rely on physical or computer models to help visualize abstract concepts and solve complex problems. Project goals include plans to build on recent advances in three technologies – Spatial Augmented Reality, Tangible User Interfaces, and Natural Language Processing – to develop a projection-based immersive learning environment with interactive physical models and a natural language interface to help support learning. The project design relies on Collaborative Learning, an educational approach that uses interactive group problem solving activities to build and test knowledge. The scope of the project includes creating novel immersive learning experiences designed to improve student learning outcomes and prepare students for future jobs in industry. The primary goal is to advance understanding of the learning process in both collaborative learning exercises and in immersive learning environments. Supporting goals include driving research and innovation to foster self-guided collaborative learning by extending the affordances of augmented reality, developing new interactive learning and computer input devices, and building a natural language interface. Plans for dissemination of project results include publication in academic journals and presentations at relevant scholarly conferences. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.