Impact of Utilizing Immersive Virtual Reality and Dynamic Assessment on Mining Engineering Education from the Community of Inquiry Perspective

Board Of Regents, Nshe, Obo University Of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

A qualified workforce for domestic mining production of critical minerals is essential to a clean energy transition. However, current U.S. mining engineering education programs are not adequately producing mining graduates with the desired qualifications. A lack of in-depth understanding of the scientific principles involved in mining engineering is one the primary factors prohibiting mining engineers from excelling in their duties. To improve the situation, innovations are needed to transform traditional mining engineering education. This project will study the application of immersive virtual reality (IVR) technology as an innovative tool to improve mining engineering education, with froth flotation as a test topic. Froth flotation is a complex three-phase mineral separation process that relies on interactions between physics, chemistry, and the flotation machine to recover valuable minerals. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach, with experts in mining engineering, computer science and engineering, cognitive psychology, learning analytics, and chemistry, working alongside multi-national mining companies to develop an IVR based platform for froth flotation education. Although the primary focus is on froth flotation, the IVR platform can be applied to a broad range of learning domains by substituting new content. The project also collaborates with the University Libraries @Reality Virtual + Augmented Reality Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno to promote learning with emerging technologies for a wide range of visitors, including university students and educators, Northern Nevada residents with their young children, and local K-12 students. The project will be conducted with the community of inquiry (CoI) as the pedagogical framework and a dynamic assessment approach as a measurement tool. Three objectives will be achieved: 1) determining the implications of the CoI framework in an IVR environment in the context of froth flotation education, 2) developing dynamic assessment models to predict students’ learning outcomes using the CoI indicators measured in the IVR environment, and 3) demonstrating to what extent the application of IVR observed within the CoI framework and augmented by dynamic assessment can enhance froth flotation education. The research outcomes can potentially advance the current state-of-the-art in three areas: 1) improving froth flotation education by adopting an innovative teaching and learning platform, 2) adding new knowledge to the science of education by understanding how the integration of the CoI framework and dynamic assessment can impact the efficacy of the IVR application, and 3) advancing IVR software engineering in terms of software specification, design and implementation, usability, and testing and evaluation. This project is a critical first step in addressing gaps in the preparation of a U.S. workforce for domestic mining of critical minerals. 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.