This work-in-progress research paper aims to present a protocol for a systematic review focused on recent engineering education research on collaborative learning in virtual reality (VR) platforms. Despite the growing application of collaborative VR in engineering education, research on systematic instructional methods within these environments remains limited. This work-in-progress paper details a protocol for a systematic review that aims to fill this gap by evaluating the use of collaborative VR in engineering education. We outline the methods, including search strategies and criteria for inclusion, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework. The review will focus on identifying the skills and competencies targeted by collaborative VR applications, the theoretical underpinnings employed, and the learning outcomes achieved. This systematic approach will provide a comprehensive synthesis of existing literature, offer insights into effective practices, and guide future research and instructional strategies in engineering education using VR technologies. Through this protocol, we aim to contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines that can enhance the efficacy of collaborative VR learning environments for engineering students.

This work-in-progress innovative practice paper presents research that follows up on a recent paper on faculty perspectives regarding the transition to exclusively online laboratory classes in electrical and computer engineering, which was presented at a conference in 2022. As we gradually moved away from the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty phased back to using in-person labs instead of the online (remote and virtual) laboratories that they had transitioned to in 2020. The data presented in this paper comes from two separate sets of interviews, each lasting 30 to 45 minutes, with five interviews conducted in each set. These interviews were recorded within two years of each other. Similar to the previous paper, we once again apply the diffusion of innovation and the framework of propagation to identify effectiveness and fit as key factors in the successful adoption of innovation. The online labs utilized in this study include the VISIR remote lab, the EMONA remote lab, and the MULTISIM online circuit simulator. The objective of this paper is to explore any mindset changes that faculty members have experienced regarding the adoption of these online laboratories in their classrooms. This paper allows us to gain deeper insight into important aspects related to the integration of online laboratories into our classrooms. Common themes from the first set of five interviews include constant comparison to “real” labs, time flexibility and individualized support, differences in learning outcomes, the necessary connection between lecture and lab, and student engagement with the lab. Preliminary results from the follow-up set of interviews show a similar set of results but with a stronger emphasis on the comfort found in using online labs after a year of use. There is a significant push to use the remote labs in conjunction with the in-person labs or even as a pre-lab. Through this work, we aim to develop an evidence-based understanding using an inductive approach to the data.

This work in progress paper we explain our process of co-sharing secondary qualitative data from separate projects funded by the National Science Foundation to better understand factors which influence faculty technology adoption in engineering education and provide a high-level presentation of preliminary results. Study A conducted 21 interviews of engineering faculty at a Midwestern US, STEM-centered university. These faculty were interviewed about the factors influencing their adoption and teaching of new engineering technologies, with a focus on programming languages, software, and instrumentation. Technology adoption models were applied as a theoretical lens for results analysis. Study B conducted 9 interviews with faculty in the College of Engineering at a Southern US university on the adoption of online laboratories in their instructional settings. The interviews focused on how faculty make use of online laboratories in electrical engineering as an essential resource. Innovation and propagation theories were applied as a theoretical lens for data analysis. The two data sets were co-shared for secondary analysis by each research group, using their own theoretical approaches. Preliminary findings lead us to believe that co-sharing of secondary data can expand qualitative data sets while providing a means for theoretical triangulation, improving data analysis.

This research work-in-progress paper displays research work in the area of online laboratories. This study examined the use of a desktop-based virtual environment that emulates an instructional laboratory experiences in the field of bioengineering, more precisely in the area of tissue engineering. This virtual laboratory was used as a homework activity in an undergraduate engineering course at [university] with in total 43 students. The major goal of this research work was to investigate the impact of this virtual lab activity on the students’ overall motivation. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were applied during the study in form of a post-intervention survey and additional post-intervention interviews with selected students. The interview results are the focus for this particular paper. The interview protocol was informed by Jone’s MUSIC model motivation. The interviews revealed significant insights into the students’ motivation in context with virtual laboratory work and also offered a general understanding of the students’ perspective on virtual, instructional laboratories. Preliminary qualitative analysis discovered that students found the simulation to be very useful to repeat lab procedures. Using the MUSIC model of motivation framework, the qualitative analysis shows that the students appreciate the online simulation in terms of a method to improve understanding but do not find this as a full replacement for hands-on, traditional labs.