An Exploration of Augmented Reality in an Introductory Engineering Graphics Course

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of augmented reality (AR) in an introductory engineering graphics course. The study specifically examined the potential for AR to affect the spatial visualization ability of students and influence student motivation. This study included 50 students from an introductory engineering graphics course at a large southeastern US public university. The AR intervention consisted of six weekly sessions in which students were required to complete an assignment with the assistance of AR. Two quantitative measurements were employed to measure the results of the implementation. The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT-R) was used to measure spatial visualization ability, and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was used to measure student motivation. Both instruments used a pre- and post-test format and were analyzed with paired t-tests. The results of the PSVT-R (p < .01) showed a significant difference between the pre- and post-test scores; however, this could not be solely attributed to the implementation of AR. The results of the overall MSLQ (p = 0.57) showed no significant difference between pre- and post-test scores.