Using the Makerspace to Create Educational Open-source Software for Electrical Circuits: A Learning Experience

TL;DR

This paper describes the development of an open-source augmented reality electrical circuit application designed to enhance accessibility and engagement in lower division engineering courses, utilizing usability studies for optimization.

Contribution

The creation of an accessible, pedagogically focused AR electrical circuit software tailored for virtual learning environments, filling a gap in existing educational AR applications.

Findings

Software supports multimodal access including voice and visual adjustments.

Usability studies informed design for quick adoption.

Application enhances engagement and accessibility in electrical education.

Abstract

Virtual learning environments are a useful modality for engaging students in the classroom by affording them a sense of presence and immersion. The motivation of this project was to create an open-source augmented reality electrical circuit application for use in lower division engineering courses to teach students about electricity fundamentals. Softwares that are readily available for use on virtual and augmented reality devices do not typically apply to all disciplines and do not necessarily have a pedagogical or accessibility focus. Considering this lack of appropriate educational applications for the current virtual and augmented reality devices, a team of interdisciplinary students was assembled to create such software. With extensive usability studies, the application was designed for quick adoption and improve accessibility by providing multimodal access such as voice assistant, gray scaling for depth perception and daltonize the app. The software is available as part of VITaL Laboratory, Sonoma State University.