Laura Lenz

Enhancing the Learning Success of Engineering Students by Virtual Experiments

In a world that is characterized by highly specialized industry sectors, the demand for well-educated engineers increases significantly. Thus, the education of engineering students has become a major field of interest for universities. However, not every university is able to provide the required number of industry demonstrators to impart the needed practical knowledge to students. Our aim is to fill this gap by establishing Remote Labs. These laboratory experiments are performed in Virtual Reality environments which represent real laboratories accessible from different places. Following the implementation of such Remote Labs described within our past publications the aim of this contribution is to examine and evaluate possibilities of controlling Remote Labs from arbitrary locations. These control mechanisms are based on the virtualization of two concurrently working six-axis robots in combination with a game pad remote controller. The evaluation of the virtual demonstrator is carried out in terms of a study that is based on practical tests and questionnaires to the measure learning success.

Are Virtual Learning Environments Appropriate for Dyscalculic Students

In Germany, there are more than four million people (almost 6 % of the entire population) living with dyscalculia, a disorder which alludes numbers as well as general arithmetic and is closely related to dyslexia (Die Zeit Online, “Ziffern ohne Sinn”. Retrieved online, May 21st, 2015, from http://www.zeit.de/2013/29/dyskalkulie-zahlenblind-teilleistungsstoerung). The estimated number of unreported cases is probably even higher. Medical researchers talk about a “forestalled elite” since these people are commonly not less intelligent than non-handicapped individuals. Still, they rarely make it to a university-entrance diploma; they get lost on the way because of missing standby facilities offered in primary and continuative schools (Die Zeit Online, “Verhinderte Elite”. Retrieved online, May 21st, 2015, from http://www.zeit.de/2003/42/C-Legasthenie-Schule). They require special needs and attention in order to learn and show their de facto potential. This paper deals with the dyscalculic-friendliness of learning environments provided by Mixed-Reality Simulators. After a presentation of the scientific state of the art on the specific needs of affected students, it will be elaborated in how far virtual environments used in the education of mechanical engineering students can sufficiently not only meet those needs but support them in their study.

Blended Learning and Beyond - Schlüsselfaktoren für Blended Learning am Beispiel der RWTH Aachen

Blended Learning – ein jeder versteht es anders. Dementsprechend gibt es unzahlige Umsetzungsmoglichkeiten im Rahmen digitaler, interaktiver, interdisziplinarer und individualisierbarer Lehre. An der RWTH Aachen geniest die kontinuierliche Verbesserung der Lehre einen hohen Stellenwert. In diesem Sinne steht der Einsatz von didaktisch fundierten Methoden des Blended Learning ganz besonders im Fokus der Bemuhungen. Eine Umsetzung moderner, hybrider Lehre, die Prasenz- und Selbstlernphasen Dank der Moglichkeiten der Neuen Medien miteinander vereint, wird engagiert durch das Rektorat und die 2014 ins Leben gerufene Blended Learning Initiative realisiert. Durch dieses Projekt erhalten motivierte Lehrende ein breites Angebot an Hilfestellungen. Neben zentralen Stutzen in der Hochschulverwaltung und dem IT Center, fungieren Einrichtungen wie das CiL (Center for Innovative Learning Technologies), ExAcT (Center of Excellence in Academic Teaching) und der Service ,,Medien fur die Lehre“ an der RWTH fur die Lehrenden als zentrale Ansprechpartner [1]. Dieser umfangreiche Support erleichtert den Lehrenden an der RWTH die Beantwortung zum Beispiel folgender Fragen: Wie gestalte ich Blended Learning passend zur eigenen Person und den Lehrinhalten? Welche technischen und organisatorischen Herausforderungen ergeben sich hieraus? Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt am Beispiel der Lehrveranstaltung Kommunikation und Organisationsentwicklung im Maschinenbaustudium einen Einblick in die Erfahrungen mit Blended Learning an der RWTH Aachen.