Targeted Infusion Project: Increasing Expertise of Minority Students by Development of a Virtual and Augmented Reality Laboratory for Research and Education at Bowie State Univ.

Bowie State University, Bowie MD

Investigators

Abstract

Bowie State University's (BSU) Targeted Infusion Project entitled - Increasing Expertise of Minority Students by Development of a Virtual and Augmented Reality Laboratory for Research and Education at Bowie State University - will enhance the computer science and mathematics curriculum and increase research opportunities for undergraduate students by deploying Virtual and Augmented Reality (VAR) as a research and educational vehicle to immerse students in research and critical thinking challenges. The Department of Computer Science enrolls about 250 undergraduate majors, most of whom are African-American. The objectives of this proposal are to: 1) enhance the Virtual Reality course curriculum with more inquiry based problem-solving activities and hand-on experiences based on Virtual and Augmented Reality educational modules; 2) develop the Virtual and Augmented Reality Laboratory for research and education in the Computer Science Department to provide undergraduate students with realistic immersive learning environments; and 3) acquire instrumentation to further develop the teaching and research infrastructure in VAR laboratories. The project seeks to prepare computer science majors at BSU to be competitive to enter graduate programs and the workforce.