On the Use of Augmented Reality to Reinforce the Learning of Power Electronics for Beginners

Sergio Sandoval Pérez,Fernando Rodriguez Haro,Miguel Angel Villa Barba,Juan Miguel Gonzalez Lopez,Juan Luis Rosas Ornelas,Jesús Ezequiel Molinar Solís,Gustavo Israel Riberth García,Ramon O Jimenez Betancourt

doi:10.3390/electronics11030302

Sergio Sandoval Pérez, Fernando Rodriguez Haro + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11030302

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Abstract

This study aims to develop and evaluate an Augmented Reality (AR) application to teach power electronics to beginners. For this purpose, two topics were presented: The first was the design of a series-connected Resistance–Inductor–Capacitor (RLC) circuit in AR, the space-state equations of which were analyzed in an interactive way, and its assembly in a virtual protoboard to analyze the voltage and currents as measured by an oscilloscope. The second presented topic in AR was about Bidirectional Direct Current (DC)–DC converters, known as Buck–Boost; the aim was to study their behavior when energy is exchanged between two systems, usually photovoltaic panels, electric vehicles, and storage systems. The attitudes of the students towards the AR application was significantly better than those towards traditional teaching. The measurements of the developed skills indicated better cognitive performance when using AR technology. The designed AR tool was used in an industry course to explore the students’ opinions, who provided valuable feedback.

Highlights

Training–teaching, in particular at universities, must address various challenges, mainly in engineering, due to expensive or insufficient laboratory equipment or the difficulty in simulating certain experimental conditions.The challenge in training and teaching lies in promoting professional competencies and the progressive improvement of these competencies by using technological and educational resources such as Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
The university students were divided into two subgroups of 13 students: the first group was called the Control-Group (CG) following the traditional teaching, while the Experimental-Group (EG-Augmented Reality (AR)) used the AR app in the subjects of RLC circuits and Direct Current (DC)–DC converters
The ANOMA method indicated that there was no significant difference during the pre-test (p = 0.532 > 0.05), indicating that very similar knowledge had been acquired between the CG and EG-AR groups

Summary

Introduction

The challenge in training and teaching lies in promoting professional competencies and the progressive improvement of these competencies by using technological and educational resources such as Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). These digital learning materials must be effective and of high quality for training and laboratory practice through a different perspective of representing content, phenomena, and simple or complex situations to be addressed in a setting that facilitates learning in engineering areas. The situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in changes and challenges for university training and restrictions to activities, testing the ability of universities to adapt to these changes, and has strongly revived the approach to competency-based learning in a new context. ICTs play an important role in the development of skills and knowledge acquisition, facilitating the exchange of information and increasing access to diverse content.

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