Integrating Virtual Reality in a Lab Based Learning Environment.

In engineering education, practical laboratory experience is essential and typically universities own expensive laboratory facilities that are deeply embedded in their curricula. Based on a comprehensive requirements analysis in a design based research approach, we have created a virtual clone of an existing RFID (radio-frequency identification) laboratory with the aim of integrating it into an existing teaching and learning scenario. The resulting application prepares students for real experiments by guiding them through the process assisted by an avatar. We have had our application tested in a qualitative evaluation by students as well as experts and we assess which design decisions have a positive impact on the learning experience. Our results suggest that the appearance of the environment, the avatar and the interactions of our virtual reality application have a strong motivational character but a closer content-wise link of the virtual and real experiments is crucial for students to perceive the application as part of the learning environment.