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Use of Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum for Education and Training:...
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Use of Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum for Education and Training: Trends, Applications and Impact

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Electronic Multimedia".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2024) | Viewed by 10819

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gabriela Gabajová

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Žilina, 01026 Žilina, Slovakia
Interests: virtual reality; augmented reality; education
Prof. Dr. Martin Krajcovic

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Žilina, 01026 Žilina, Slovakia
Interests: industrial engineering; operations management; inventory control; logistics; warehousing; lean manufacturing; manufacturing system design; digital factory; virtual and augmented reality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the rapid development of technology and the creation of new systems and applications, new challenges arise in their application in the field of education. The extended reality (XR) spectrum offers a significant scope for research of this type, with the challenge of creating interactive training sessions, educational applications, and educational games. At the same time, this allows the use of a diverse range of technical devices, from the commonly available ones such as tablets and smartphones, to the more technically advanced ones such as glasses, motion platforms and gloves for virtual reality.

In this Special Issue, our aim is to introduce new approaches in the creation of digital environments not only for the field of education, but also for industrial practice environments where learning is becoming a natural phenomenon. The focus is on interaction, engagement, motivation and self-learning. At the same time, the research must take care to be realistic, ,meaning that it should not only consist of the audiovisual aspects of interactive training and educational games, but also of the right choice of elements from practice. Research should also be complemented by longitudinal studies that investigate the impact of the use of technical means for augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality on the user themselves, their positive and negative experiences and their impact on their cognitive abilities.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Interactive training in education;
  • Interactive training in industrial practice;
  • Interactive training in other practice;
  • Educational games in AR, VR, and MR;
  • Studies about the impact of AR, VR, and MR technologies on users;
  • Applications of the XR spectrum for training and education;
  • Case studies;
  • Training centers.

This program intends to provide an opportunity for early career scientists to enhance their editing, networking, and organizational skills and to work closely with our journal to gain more editorial experience. Early career scientists who have novel ideas for new Special Issues of Electronics (ISSN: 2079-9292) will act as Guest Editors under the mentorship of an experienced scientist; this mentor could be a member of the Electronics Editorial Board or may be from other well-established research institutes or laboratories, etc.

Certificates and awards:

When the Special Issue is closed, the Editorial Office will provide official certificates for all of the mentors. The young scholars involved in the program will be prioritized as candidates for Electronics Young Investigator Awards in the future.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Electronics Editorial Office ([email protected] or [email protected]), and we will discuss the process (mentor collaboration, Special Issue topic feasibility analysis, etc.) in further detail.

Dr. Gabriela Gabajová
Prof. Dr. Martin Krajcovic
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • augmented reality
  • mixed reality
  • augmented virtuality
  • virtual reality
  • impact of AR, VR, MR technologies
  • extended reality spectrum
  • education
  • new trends in XR spectrum
  • educational game
  • interactive training

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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22 pages, 7980 KiB  
Article
Learning by Doing in VR: A User-Centric Evaluation of Lathe Operation Training
by Julian Conesa, Antonio Martínez, Francisco Mula and Manuel Contero
Electronics 2024, 13(13), 2549; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13132549 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 739
Abstract
This study presents the development and evaluation of an immersive virtual reality (VR) application designed for lathe operation training. The VR application, built using Unity for Oculus Rift headsets, aims to simulate a realistic lathe machining experience, allowing users to interact with the [...] Read more.
This study presents the development and evaluation of an immersive virtual reality (VR) application designed for lathe operation training. The VR application, built using Unity for Oculus Rift headsets, aims to simulate a realistic lathe machining experience, allowing users to interact with the machine’s various controls and levers. The experimental analysis involved 20 s-year Mechanical Engineering students who performed machining tasks in the virtual environment. The usability and user experience of the application were assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and a 12-item questionnaire. The SUS results yielded a high mean score of 96.25 (SD = 6.41), indicating excellent usability. The user experience evaluation also showed positive feedback, with high ratings for the sense of presence, realism, and usefulness for training purposes. However, some users reported minor physical discomforts such as dizziness. The study concludes that immersive VR is a valuable tool for enhancing training in lathe operations, offering an engaging and realistic experience that encourages active learning. Future work should focus on reducing physical discomfort and further improving the application’s realism and interactivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum for Education and Training: Trends, Applications and Impact)
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13 pages, 5522 KiB  
Article
Medical Education Escape Room Aligned with Flipped Classroom and Powered by Mobile Augmented Reality
by Panagiotis E. Antoniou, Fivos Papamalis, Eleni Dafli, Ioannis Poultourtzidis, Daniel Schwarz, Luke Woodham, Sarantis Dimitriadis, Konstantinos Tagaras, Nikolaos Kyriakidis, Panagiotis David, Maria Nikolaidou, Tamara Skříšovská, Terry Poulton and Panagiotis D. Bamidis
Electronics 2024, 13(12), 2367; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13122367 - 17 Jun 2024
Viewed by 984
Abstract
Medical education escape rooms are emerging as a viable technological resource for pedagogy-first, learner-centric educational activities. This work presents the evaluation results of the first flipped classroom implementation in medical education, thus utilizing a mobile-driven augmented reality (AR) escape room. A total of [...] Read more.
Medical education escape rooms are emerging as a viable technological resource for pedagogy-first, learner-centric educational activities. This work presents the evaluation results of the first flipped classroom implementation in medical education, thus utilizing a mobile-driven augmented reality (AR) escape room. A total of 21 first-year medical students attended a flipped classroom educational activity that aimed to acclimate the students with the workflows of basic life support. Knowledge acquisition and user perceptions were evaluated. Knowledge acquisition was evaluated with an ad hoc relevant instrument at three timepoints: (a) baseline at recruitment, (b) preclass after students had prepared for the episode, and (c) after class. Learner perceptions about the activity and the AR escape room were recorded at the activity’s end using a previously designed evaluation instrument. The results demonstrated sufficient knowledge acquisition only after completing the whole educational activity, while learners found the experience interesting, and the AR escape room challenging, thus reflecting an activity that was well formulated in structure and content. The challenges identified were the limited out of class collaboration capacity of the digital application and the highly gamified approach that at points counteracted the educational scope of the activity. Overall, these positive initial results demonstrate the potential of collaborative, escape based, activities for self-directed, learner-centric medical education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum for Education and Training: Trends, Applications and Impact)
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17 pages, 1591 KiB  
Article
Understanding Learner Satisfaction in Virtual Learning Environments: Serial Mediation Effects of Cognitive and Social-Emotional Factors
by Xin Yin, Jiakai Zhang, Gege Li and Heng Luo
Electronics 2024, 13(12), 2277; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13122277 - 10 Jun 2024
Viewed by 2100
Abstract
This study explored the relationship between technology acceptance and learning satisfaction within a virtual learning environment (VLE) with cognitive presence, cognitive engagement, social presence, and emotional engagement as mediators. A total of 237 university students participated and completed a questionnaire after studying in [...] Read more.
This study explored the relationship between technology acceptance and learning satisfaction within a virtual learning environment (VLE) with cognitive presence, cognitive engagement, social presence, and emotional engagement as mediators. A total of 237 university students participated and completed a questionnaire after studying in the Virbela VLE. The results revealed direct and indirect links between technology acceptance and virtual learning satisfaction. The mediation analysis showed the critical mediating roles of cognitive presence and emotional engagement in fostering satisfaction. There also appeared to be a sequential mediating pathway from technology acceptance to learning satisfaction through social presence and emotional engagement. Notably, cognitive engagement and social presence did not have a significant mediating effect on satisfaction. These results provide a supplementary perspective on how technological, cognitive, and emotional factors can enhance student satisfaction in VLEs. The study concludes with several implications for future research and practice of VLEs in higher education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum for Education and Training: Trends, Applications and Impact)
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13 pages, 3480 KiB  
Article
Utilization of Immersive Virtual Reality as an Interactive Method of Assignment Presentation
by Martin Krajčovič, Marián Matys, Gabriela Gabajová and Dávid Komačka
Electronics 2024, 13(8), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13081430 - 10 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1089
Abstract
Virtual reality is a technology with many possible uses and ways to improve various processes, including the presentation of results. This paper deals with the utilization of virtual reality as a tool for assignment presentation. During the classes of manufacturing and assembly systems [...] Read more.
Virtual reality is a technology with many possible uses and ways to improve various processes, including the presentation of results. This paper deals with the utilization of virtual reality as a tool for assignment presentation. During the classes of manufacturing and assembly systems design, the conventional form of presentation was replaced with immersive virtual reality, where the students would present their work while wearing the virtual reality headset and walking around the 3D model of their design. The main goal was to test whether this approach had a positive impact on the students’ motivation and engagement in the presentation creation and presenting itself. To test this approach, a small case study took place at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Žilina. In conclusion, the overall responses to this experiment were positive; the majority of the students felt more comfortable while presenting and more motivated to put more effort into their preparation. Wearing a virtual reality headset caused the students not to have to directly face the audience, giving them more confidence while presenting. Additionally, the novelty of the virtual reality technology made the students more engaged in showing their work. There is a plan to integrate the virtual reality presentation as the stable part of this assignment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum for Education and Training: Trends, Applications and Impact)
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17 pages, 10494 KiB  
Article
Contactless Multi-User Virtual Hair Design Synthesis
by Changjo Sung and Seongah Chin
Electronics 2023, 12(17), 3686; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12173686 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1656
Abstract
This study introduces a virtual reality (VR)-based remote hair design training system that addresses the limitations of physical presence. By leveraging virtual environments and eliminating the need for tangible tools, this system allows hairstylists and learners to collaborate and master hair-design techniques from [...] Read more.
This study introduces a virtual reality (VR)-based remote hair design training system that addresses the limitations of physical presence. By leveraging virtual environments and eliminating the need for tangible tools, this system allows hairstylists and learners to collaborate and master hair-design techniques from a distance. In this approach, a section of a user’s hair was derived from their photograph, and during the training, the most compatible 3D hair model was integrated with the user’s 3D avatar using the recommended matching procedure. This aligned hairstyle was subsequently incorporated into a 3D model for hair simulation. Further, VR HMD interaction mapping was used for hair cutting and styling. A collaborative environment for hair design has been crafted, enabling multiple participants to partake in remote hairstyle education. This system offers cost-effective training, enhances cooperative learning, and aligns with the requirements of contact-free education. In essence, this research has transformed remote hair design training with immersive VR technology. To verify the system’s accuracy, tests were conducted, and the results showcased enhancements in the matching procedure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum for Education and Training: Trends, Applications and Impact)
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15 pages, 2507 KiB  
Article
Asterisk as a Tool to Aid in Learning to Program
by Pelayo Nuño, Francisco G. Bulnes, Set Pérez-González and Juan C. Granda
Electronics 2023, 12(5), 1160; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12051160 - 27 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3088
Abstract
Programming is a key subject in many engineering programs. Students often perceive it as a difficult skill to master. There is extensive literature on helping students learn and improve to program, most of which focuses on K-12 education. However, due to the current [...] Read more.
Programming is a key subject in many engineering programs. Students often perceive it as a difficult skill to master. There is extensive literature on helping students learn and improve to program, most of which focuses on K-12 education. However, due to the current demand for workers with programming skills, more research must be conducted on techniques for learning programming at the higher education level. In this work, an analysis and evaluation of the usefulness of an Asterisk Private Branch Exchange (PBX) as an educational tool to improve the programming skills of students in higher education is presented. The study worked with undergraduate students in telecommunications engineering, with little work experience in programming, during the completion of their final year project. Results suggest that using Asterisk has a positive impact on the students’ perception of their programming knowledge and skills, as well as an increment in the interest and comfort regarding programming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Use of Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum for Education and Training: Trends, Applications and Impact)
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