IJIET 2025 Vol.15(3): 419-427
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.3.2253
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.3.2253
Student Perceptions of VR Labs Modeled after Traditional Physical Labs in Non-Destructive Measurement Testing
Raymond Leonardo Chandra*, Djamel Berkaoui, Patrick Querl, Koen Castermans,
and Heribert Nacken
Academic and Research Department Engineering Hydrology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
Email: chandra@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (R.L.C.); berkaoui@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (D.B.); querl@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (P.Q.); castermans@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (K.C.); nacken@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (H.N.)
*Corresponding author
Email: chandra@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (R.L.C.); berkaoui@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (D.B.); querl@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (P.Q.); castermans@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (K.C.); nacken@lfi.rwth-aachen.de (H.N.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received September 17, 2024; revised October 21, 2024; accepted November 15, 2024; published March 12, 2025
Abstract—This study assesses how the student perceives the use of virtual reality labs to perform the non-destructive measurement testing in comparison to physical labs. The research involved 35 mechanical engineering student who used digital caliper, ultrasonic sensors, optical lenses and 3D scanner in both Virtual Reality (VR) and physical lab setting. Results from self-assessment surveys indicated no significant differences between the groups which suggest that the order of lab experiences did not impact the student’s perception of the VR lab. However, prior experience with physical labs seems to enhanced comprehension and VR lab’s perceived value, with average ratings increasing from 3.7 to 4.1 on a 5-point scale. Despite this, students rated VR labs poorly for hands-on coordination training (μ: 3.2), indicating that skills learned in VR were not fully applicable to physical labs. In order to improve practical skill transfer, future research should concentrate on enhancing VR realism, expanding sample sizes, and investigating the long-term effects of VR training.
Keywords—Virtual Reality (VR), education, non-destructive testing, physical labs, VR lab
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Keywords—Virtual Reality (VR), education, non-destructive testing, physical labs, VR lab
Cite: Raymond Leonardo Chandra, Djamel Berkaoui, Patrick Querl, Koen Castermans, and Heribert Nacken, "Student Perceptions of VR Labs Modeled after Traditional Physical Labs in Non-Destructive Measurement Testing," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 419-427, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).