READING, Pa. — Providing hands-on training options can be critical for student learning, but traveling to training sites is not always an option. Immersive technologies are helping to eliminate that roadblock for engineering students at Penn State Berks.
This summer, Marietta Scanlon, lecturer of engineering at the Berks campus, and sophomore Wyatt Ritchie collaborated to create 360-degree videos for a course to serve both as an introduction to principles in Scanlon’s IET 101 Manufacturing Materials, Processes and Laboratory course and provide information about specific equipment in the campus machine shop.
“The traditional way of learning is to take notes and look at pictures of how things work, which does get the point across but doesn't provide a deep understanding and spark interest,” said Ritchie, who has been creating 360-degree videos for an industrial engineering technology (IET) course. He worked on this project as part of the multi-campus Research Experience for Undergraduates summer program. “Using this kind of technology does though, which is why I refer to a certain quote that I think explains how this technology provides a greater advantage over traditional ways of learning: ‘I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.’”
Scanlon said the 360-degree videos will be used toward the end of fall semester to supplement her teaching and the regular shop training that is provided in later semesters, sometimes not until students’ senior year. Scanlon said the videos could also be used in other manufacturing courses.
Ryan Wetzel, manager of creative learning initiatives within Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), helped Ritchie determine the best use of the 360-degree videos and navigate Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing.
“Using immersive technologies like 360-degree video to complete coursework helps students to examine course content from several perspectives,” Wetzel explained. “Because the camera operates as a stand-in for the audience, and the audience can look anywhere at any time, students must consider the value of their location, the actions taking place, and how to direct attention. This leads to an intimate understanding of the course content and becomes invaluable as a teaching tool.”