Effects of Immersion on Knowledge Gain and Cognitive Load in Additive Manufacturing Process Education

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Education Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Additive Manufacturing (AM) adoption is hindered by a shortage of skilled designers.
• High costs and infrastructure needs for processes like Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) limit traditional training.
• Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) and Virtual Reality (VR) offer potential solutions for AM education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of CAI, VR, and in-person instruction for learning AM processes.
• To investigate the impact of immersion and presence on knowledge gain and cognitive load in AM education.
• To address the gap in research comparing virtual and physical AM learning environments.

Main Methods:

• Participants received instruction on Material Extrusion (ME) and PBF using CAI, VR, and in-person methods.
• Knowledge gain and cognitive load were measured for each learning medium and AM process.
• Statistical analysis was used to compare the effects of different instructional mediums.

Main Results:

• For Material Extrusion (ME), no significant differences in learning outcomes were found between CAI, VR, and in-person instruction.
• For Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), VR instruction yielded comparable knowledge gain and cognitive load to in-person training.
• VR demonstrated superior results over CAI for PBF learning in terms of knowledge gain and cognitive load.

Conclusions:

• Virtual Reality (VR) can serve as an effective alternative to in-person training for high-barrier-to-entry AM processes like PBF.
• VR enhances accessibility to hands-on learning experiences, crucial for developing a skilled AM workforce.
• The findings support the integration of VR into AM education to overcome traditional training limitations.