Enhancing Engineering Education Through Hands-on Virtual Reality Training Experiences: Developing Skills in the Continuous Improvement of Manufacturing Systems

The integration of Virtual Reality (VR) training experiences into engineering education allows for a transformative teaching approach, allowing instructors the opportunity to expose students to a variety of immersive and interactive learning environments within the classroom setting. This paper explores the utilization of VR technology in Lean Systems Engineering Technology courses at the University of Kentucky as a means to facilitate student learning of continuous improvement applications within manufacturing. The application of continuous improvement techniques is a core competency for engineering students interested in a career in manufacturing. Employers place a high value on these skills with the aim of optimizing product quality and process efficiency in order to remain competitive in the global marketplace. In this paper, the authors will discuss the design, implementation, and student feedback of a VR-based educational module developed to immerse engineering students in a virtual manufacturing environment. In this VR environment, students will engage in hands-on experiences that simulate various real-world manufacturing processes and apply continuous improvement practices to visualize and quantify the impact of these changes on the VR manufacturing system. The objectives of the module are to enhance students' understanding of concepts related to continuous improvement, introduce practical problem-solving skills, and encourage critical thinking in relation to manufacturing excellence. The findings of this paper provide insights into whether the integration of VR training experiences in the classroom can enhance students' comprehension of continuous improvement in manufacturing. By providing evidence to the efficacy of this innovative pedagogical method, this paper contributes to the advancement of engineering education by exploring the application of VR technology to support educating the next generation of engineers.