This study was sponsored by the Panamerican University Guadalajara campus. We thank the mechatronic engineering students for contributing to the experiment.

The protocol follows the guidelines of the Panamerican University ethics committee. The experiment was conducted with a total of 30 students, between 18 and 20 years old; eight students were female and 22 were male, and they all attended the Panamerican University in Guadalajara, Mexico (the second largest city in Mexico). All participants completed the informed consent process and provided written permission for photos to be taken and published during data collection. The only requirement was that the students needed to have a smart phone, which was no problem. Therefore, there was no exclusion criteria for the experiment.
1. VR system setup and calibration
NOTE: This step takes ~10 min.
<ol>
	<li>Ensure the system includes all the components: an Android phone with operating system version 10 or higher, VR box glasses, and a wooden base with a calibration image (Figure 1) (see Table of Materials).</li>
	<li>Open the MRE application on the cell phone and load the Unity, AR Foundation, Google Cardboard, and ManoMotion services25,26,27,28. The MRE application has been developed by ourselves; it was developed for Android and it is not public.</li>
	<li>Insert the cell phone into the VR glasses and put on the glasses.</li>
	<li>Visually locate the center of the base of the MRE prototype (the blue square in Figure 1).</li>
	<li>When the simulation appears, raise an outstretched hand to place it in the center of the view. 
	NOTE: From this moment, the users can make hand gestures to interact with the simulated environment.</li>
</ol>
2. User preparation
NOTE: This step takes ~5 min.
<ol>
	<li>Without VR glasses, open the MRE application, as shown in Figure 2.</li>
	<li>Ensure that the application starts in user mode so it is only necessary to log in.</li>
	<li>Select the scenario that the user wants to perform. There are two scenarios: electronic components and physics.</li>
	<li>Press Play; the user will have 30 s to put on the VR glasses.</li>
</ol>
3. Execution of scenarios
NOTE: This step takes ~15 min.
<ol>
	<li>Scenario 1: electronic components
	<ol>
		<li>Locate the areas to position components, by means of red, green, and blue colors. This delimits the six interaction zones of this scene: three zones to take the virtual electronics components and three zones to drop the components, as shown in Figure 3.</li>
		<li>Take the component and position it in the right place. The right place depends on the component and what is seen in theory; for example, in theory, it is explained how to place a heat sink, and in MRE said placement is practiced.</li>
		<li>Continue until all components are in place.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Scenario 2: physics
	<ol>
		<li>Locate the two cars involved in the scenario (Figure 4).</li>
		<li>Select the speed of each car.</li>
		<li>Visualize the graphs after the collision.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Administration view
<ol>
	<li>On the main screen, press MRE modes (see Figure 2) and select the administrator option.</li>
	<li>Log in to verify if the account has permission to access as admin. 
	&#8203;NOTE: It becomes possible to view the list of students and the grades obtained in each scenario.</li>
</ol>
5. Student results
<ol>
	<li>Logging in as an administrator, click on the name of the desired student and view the table with the information of the grades of their scenarios.</li>
	<li>Click on a student&#39;s name and select download grades as CSV. This will display all the results in a comma separated file.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how. World Economic Forum Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-gloabl-covid19-online-digital-learning/">https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-gloabl-covid19-online-digital-learning/</a> (2020)</li><li>How does virtual learning impact students in higher education. Brown Center Chalkboard Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/08/13/how-does-virtual-learning-impact-students-in-hegher-education/">https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/08/13/how-does-virtual-learning-impact-students-in-hegher-education/</a> (2021)</li><li>Loukatos, D., Androulidakis, N., Arvanitis, K. G., Peppas, K. P., Chondrogiannis, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Using+open+tools+to+transform+retired+equipment+into+powerful+engineering+education+instruments:+a+smart+Agri-IoT+control+example.">Using open tools to transform retired equipment into powerful engineering education instruments: a smart Agri-IoT control example.</a> Electronics. 11, 855 (2022).</li><li>Garlinska, M., Osial, M., Proniewska, K., Pregowska, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+influence+of+emerging+technologies+on+distance+education.">The influence of emerging technologies on distance education.</a> Electronics. 12 (7), 1550 (2023).</li><li>Parmaxi, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Virtual+reality+in+language+learning:+A+systematic+review+and+implications+for+research+and+practice.">Virtual reality in language learning: A systematic review and implications for research and practice.</a> Interactive Learning Environments. 31, 172-184 (2023).</li><li>Milgram, P., Kishino, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+taxonomy+of+mixed+reality+visual+displays.">A taxonomy of mixed reality visual displays.</a> IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems. 77 (12), 1321-1329 (1994).</li><li>Zaghloul, M. A. S., Hassan, A., Dallal, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Teaching+and+managing+remote+lab-based+courses.">Teaching and managing remote lab-based courses.</a> ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings. , (2021).</li><li>Maas, M. J., Hughes, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Virtual,+augmented+and+mixed+reality+in+K-12+education:+A+review+of+the+literature.">Virtual, augmented and mixed reality in K-12 education: A review of the literature.</a> Technology, Pedagogy and Education. 20 (2), 231-249 (2020).</li><li>Noah, N., Das, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Exploring+evolution+of+augmented+and+virtual+reality+education+space+in+2020+through+systematic+literature+review.">Exploring evolution of augmented and virtual reality education space in 2020 through systematic literature review.</a> Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds. 32 (3-4), e2020 (2021).</li><li>Gerup, J., Soerensen, C. B., Dieckmann, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Augmented+reality+and+mixed+reality+for+healthcare+education+beyond+surgery:+an+integrative+review.">Augmented reality and mixed reality for healthcare education beyond surgery: an integrative review.</a> International Journal of Medical Education. 11, 1-18 (2020).</li><li>Sinou, N., Sinou, N., Filippou, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Virtual+reality+and+augmented+reality+in+anatomy+education+during+COVID-19+pandemic.">Virtual reality and augmented reality in anatomy education during COVID-19 pandemic.</a> Cureus. 15 (2), (2023).</li><li>Soliman, M., Pesyridis, A., Dalaymani-Zad, D., Gronfula, M., Kourmpetis, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+application+of+virtual+reality+in+engineering+education.">The application of virtual reality in engineering education.</a> Applied Sciences. 11 (6), 2879 (2021).</li><li>Rojas-S&#225;nchez, M. A., Palos-S&#225;nchez, P. R., Folgado-Fern&#225;ndez, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Systematic+literature+review+and+bibliometric+analysis+on+virtual+reality+and+education.">Systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis on virtual reality and education.</a> Education and Information Technologies. 28, 155-192 (2023).</li><li>Brown, K. E., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+large-scale,+multiplayer+virtual+reality+deployment:+a+novel+approach+to+distance+education+in+human+anatomy.">A large-scale, multiplayer virtual reality deployment: a novel approach to distance education in human anatomy.</a> Medical Science Educator. , 1-13 (2023).</li><li>Birt, J., Stromberga, Z., Cowling, M., Moro, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mobile+mixed+reality+for+experiential+learning+and+simulation+in+medical+and+health+sciences+education.">Mobile mixed reality for experiential learning and simulation in medical and health sciences education.</a> Informatics. 9 (2), 31 (2018).</li><li>Tang, Y. M., Au, K. M., Lau, H. C. W., Ho, G. T. S., Wu, C. H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evaluating+the+effectiveness+of+learning+design+with+mixed+reality+(MR)+in+higher+education.">Evaluating the effectiveness of learning design with mixed reality (MR) in higher education.</a> Virtual Reality. 24 (4), 797-807 (2020).</li><li>Halabi, O. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Immersive+virtual+reality+to+enforce+teaching+in+engineering+education.">Immersive virtual reality to enforce teaching in engineering education.</a> Multimedia Tools and Applications. 79 (3-4), 2987-3004 (2020).</li><li>Borish, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Undergraduate+student+experiences+in+remote+lab+courses+during+the+COVID-19+pandemic.">Undergraduate student experiences in remote lab courses during the COVID-19 pandemic.</a> Physical Review Physics Education Research. 18 (2), 020105 (2022).</li><li>Trentsios, P., Wolf, M., Frerich, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Remote+Lab+meets+Virtual+Reality-Enabling+immersive+access+to+high+tech+laboratories+from+afar.">Remote Lab meets Virtual Reality-Enabling immersive access to high tech laboratories from afar.</a> Procedia Manufacturing. 43, 25-31 (2020).</li><li>Jona, K., Roque, R., Skolnik, J., Uttal, D., Rapp, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Are+remote+labs+worth+the+cost?+Insights+from+a+study+of+student+perceptions+of+remote+labs.">Are remote labs worth the cost? Insights from a study of student perceptions of remote labs.</a> International Journal of Online Engineering. 7 (2), 48-53 (2011).</li><li>Lowe, D., De La Villefromoy, M., Jona, K., Yeoh, L. R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Remote+laboratories:+Uncovering+the+true+costs.">Remote laboratories: Uncovering the true costs.</a> 2012 9th International Conference on Remote Engineering and Virtual Instrumentation. IEEE. , 1-6 (2012).</li><li>Miles, D. T., Wells, W. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Lab-in-a-box:+A+guide+for+remote+laboratory+instruction+in+an+instrumental+analysis+course.">Lab-in-a-box: A guide for remote laboratory instruction in an instrumental analysis course.</a> Journal of Chemical Education. 97 (9), 2971-2975 (2020).</li><li>Loukatos, D., Zoulias, E., Chondrogiannis, E., Arvanitis, K. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+mixed+reality+approach+enriching+the+agricultural+engineering+education+paradigm,+against+the+COVID19+Constraints.">A mixed reality approach enriching the agricultural engineering education paradigm, against the COVID19 Constraints.</a> 2021 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON). IEEE. , 1587-1592 (2021).</li><li>Guerrero-Osuna, H. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Implementation+of+a+MEIoT+weather+station+with+exogenous+disturbance+input.">Implementation of a MEIoT weather station with exogenous disturbance input.</a> Sensors. 21 (5), 1653 (2021).</li><li>. Unity Technologies Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://unity.com/">https://unity.com/</a> (2023)</li><li>About AR Foundation. Unity Technologies Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.xr.arfoundation@4.1/manual/index.html">https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.xr.arfoundation@4.1/manual/index.html</a> (2020)</li><li>. Manomotion Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.manomotion.com/">https://www.manomotion.com/</a> (2022)</li><li>Create immersive VR experiences. Alphabet Inc Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://developers.google.com/cardboard">https://developers.google.com/cardboard</a> (2021)</li><li>Demand for online education is growing. Are providers ready. McKinsey &amp; Company Available from: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/demand-for-online-education-is-growing-are-providers-ready">https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/demand-for-online-education-is-growing-are-providers-ready</a> (2022)</li><li>Vergara, D., Fern&#225;ndez-Arias, P., Extremera, J., D&#225;vila, L. P., Rubio, M. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Educational+trends+post+COVID-19+in+engineering:+Virtual+laboratories.">Educational trends post COVID-19 in engineering: Virtual laboratories.</a> Materials Today: Proceedings. 49, 155-160 (2022).</li><li>Wu, B., Yu, X., Gu, X. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effectiveness+of+immersive+virtual+reality+using+head-mounted+displays+on+learning+performance:+A+meta-analysis.">Effectiveness of immersive virtual reality using head-mounted displays on learning performance: A meta-analysis.</a> British Journal of Educational Technology. 51 (6), 1991-2005 (2020).</li><li>Makarova, I., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+virtual+reality+lab+for+automotive+service+specialists:+a+knowledge+transfer+system+in+the+digital+age.">A virtual reality lab for automotive service specialists: a knowledge transfer system in the digital age.</a> Information. 14 (3), 163 (2023).</li><li>Cho, Y., Park, K. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Designing+immersive+virtual+reality+simulation+for+environmental+science+education.">Designing immersive virtual reality simulation for environmental science education.</a> Electronics. 12 (2), 315 (2023).</li><li>Burov, O. Y., Pinchuk, O. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+meta-analysis+of+the+most+influential+factors+of+the+virtual+reality+in+education+for+the+health+and+efficiency+of+students'+activity.">A meta-analysis of the most influential factors of the virtual reality in education for the health and efficiency of students' activity.</a> Educational Technology Quarterly. 2023, 58-68 (2023).</li><li>Loetscher, T., Jurkovic, N. S., Michalski, S. C., Billinghurst, M., Lee, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Online+platforms+for+remote+immersive+Virtual+Reality+testing:+an+emerging+tool+for+experimental+behavioral+research.">Online platforms for remote immersive Virtual Reality testing: an emerging tool for experimental behavioral research.</a> Multimodal Technologies and Interaction. 7 (3), 32 (2023).</li></ol>

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

The MRE system allows different scenarios for students to learn about electronic components or physics topics. An important point is the possibility of the teacher providing feedback. In this way, the students can know what they did wrong and why. With the MRE system developed, an experiment was carried out with 30 students, where 10 students did not use MRE, 10 used MRE, and finally another 10 used MRE and received feedback from the teacher. At the end of the classes, a general knowledge test was given to all the studen...

Technology has always been present in the education sector; profound changes have occurred in the devices used to teach classes. However, face-to-face classes remain the preferred option for students and teachers. When the pandemic came, it changed all sectors, and education was no exception. In 2018, before the pandemic, only 35% of students who studied a degree reported having taken at least one class online; that is, 65% of students completed their studies in person1. As of April 2020, by government order (Mexican), all public and private schools were prohibited from teaching face-to-face classes; for this reason, 100% of the students had to take distance classes. Universities were the first to act, using tools for video calling, preparing classes, homework management, etc. This makes sense, since people of university age (between 18 and 25 years old) are people who have been in contact with technology since birth.
Some classes can be fully adapted virtually; however, laboratory practices are complex to perform remotely, and students do not have the necessary material, which is often expensive. The impact that online classes have on the quality of knowledge is unclear, and some studies show that online courses generally yield worse student performance than in-person coursework2. But one thing is certain, not carrying out laboratory practices that bring students closer to what they will experience in the industry will negatively affect their professional performance. Therefore, the importance of real-scale experiences becomes necessary in the current teaching of engineering3,4,5. For these reasons, new technologies are being used to mitigate these problems. Among them are virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). It is important to mention that VR is a technology that allows the creation of a totally immersive digital environment, whileAR overlays virtual objects in the real-world environment. On the other hand, MR does not just use virtual objects, but also anchors these objects to the real world, making it possible to interact with them. Thus, MR is a combination of VR and AR6. On the other hand, some organizations have also made efforts to develop remote laboratories, where real equipment exists but can be controlled remotely7.
The term MR dates to 1994; however, in the last 5 years, it has taken on special importance, thanks to large companies that have focused their efforts on developing environments, such as the Metaverse6. MR can be applied in different areas; two of the most common are training and education. Training has been one of the great drivers of MR; it is very expensive for a company to stop a production line to train new employees, or in dangerous environments, and it isn&#39;t easy to carry out training in the field. Education is not far behind; although face-to-face classes have changed very little, there are great efforts to incorporate MR into classes8,9. For education, there are professional careers where it is necessary to carry out laboratory practices to have complete training. Many existing studies and research are in medicine, with VR, AR, and MR playing a key role. Multiple papers show how MR surpasses traditional teaching methods in surgical and medical subjects, where the practice is a clear advantage for developing students10,11,12,13,14.
However, there is not the same amount of research on engineering issues. Normally in engineering careers, a student has theory classes complemented by practices. In this way, there are studies on MR and VR showing the benefits in engineering pedagogy12. However, some of these studies focus on analyzing the complexity of the environment and the tools used8,15. Tang et al. devised a study where students from different areas and with different knowledge used MR to improve their understanding of geometric analysis and creativity16. In a subsequent test, people who took their classes using MR finished faster, making it clear that MR positively affects learning16. Moreover, Halabi showed the use of VR tools in engineering education. Although it is not MR, it shows tools that can be used for teaching. It makes a real case study to show that it is possible to introduce VR in engineering classes17.
On the other hand, remote laboratories (RLs) are technological tools composed of software and hardware that allow students to remotely carry out their practices as if they were in a traditional laboratory. RLs are generally accessed through the internet, and are normally used when students are required to autonomously put into practice what they have learned as many times as they require18. However, with the arrival of COVID-19, its use has been to replace traditional laboratories and to be able to carry out practices during online classes18. As mentioned above, an RL needs a physical space (traditional laboratory) and elements that allow it to be controlled remotely. With the arrival of VR, laboratories have been modeled virtually, and through physical mechanisms, the elements of the laboratory can be controlled19. However, having an RL is very expensive, impeding many schools especially in developing countries. Some studies mention that costs can vary between $50,000 and $100,00020,21.
Moreover, since the pandemic began, changes have had to be made quickly; in the case of RLs, attempts were made to send kits to the homes of each student to replace the traditional laboratories. However, there was a cost problem, as studies showed that each kit cost around $70018,22. Nevertheless, the studies used expensive and difficult-to-obtain components. The pandemic affected education worldwide, and not many people could spend thousands of dollars to automate a lab or buy a kit. Most studies consider face-to-face classes and complement them with MR. However, in recent years, classes have been online due to COVID-19, and only some works show the improvement of virtual classes using MR and affordable devices23,24.
The research that exists so far is mainly focused on medicine, with little information on engineering. However, without a doubt, we believe that the greatest contribution and difference is that our experiment was carried out for 6 months and was compared with subjects with the same characteristics who did not use virtual models, whereas most previous works carried out short experiments to compare single technologies or procedures; they did not apply them over several months. Therefore, this paper shows the difference in learning that can be made using MR in a university subject.
For this reason, this work shows the development and results of an MR system to help carry out laboratory practices in universities focused on electronic engineering. It is important to mention that special emphasis is placed on keeping the cost of the device low, making it accessible to the general population. Three groups use different teaching methods, and an exam is conducted on the class topics. In this way, it is possible to obtain results on understanding the topics in distance education using MR.
The project explained in this work is called mixed reality for education (MRE) and is proposed as a platform where students use VR glasses with a smartphone (i.e., no special VR glasses are used). A workspace is created where students can interact with virtual environments and real objects simply by using their own hands, due to the use of virtual and real objects, a mixed reality system. This workspace consists of a base with an image where all the virtual objects are displayed and interacted with. The environment created focuses on conducting laboratory practices to show electronic components and physics for engineering careers. It is important to highlight the need to provide feedback to students. For this reason, MRE incorporates a feedback system where an administrator (normally the teacher) can see what is being done to rate the activity. In this way, feedback can be given on the work done by the student. Finally, the scope of this work is to check if there are advantages in using MR in online classes.
To achieve this, the experiment was carried out with three groups of students. Each group consisted of 10 students (30 students in total). The first group did not use MRE, only taking theory (online classes) on the momentum conservation principle and electronic components. The second group used MRE without feedback, and the third group used MRE with feedback from a teacher. It is important to mention that all students have the same school level; they are university students in the same semester and with the same career, studying mechatronics engineering. The experiment was applied in a single course called Introduction to Physics and Electronics, in the second semester of the degree; that is, the students had been in university for less than 1 year. Therefore, the topics covered in the class can be considered basic from an engineering point of view. The experiment was carried out on 30 students, as this was the number of students who enrolled in the class where the experiment was authorized. The selected class (Introduction to Physics and Electronics) had theory and laboratory practices, but due to the pandemic, only theory classes were being taught. The students were separated into three groups to see the impact that the practices have on general learning and if MR classes could be a substitute for face-to-face practices.

<table><tbody><tr><td>MRE application for Andorid</td><td></td><td></td><td>The application was developed for the experiment, it was made by us. It is NOT public, and there are no plans for publication.</td></tr><tr><td>Non-slip fabric (20 x 20 cm)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Printing of our base image</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Self-adhesive paper (1 letter size sheet)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Virtual Reality Glasses</td><td>Meta Quest 2</td><td></td><td>We use the Meta Quest 2, which is a virtual reality headset with two displays of 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye, with this headset you could play video games, or try simulators with a 360 view. Also, the headset has two controls, in which the virtual hands feel like your real ones and this is thanks to the hand-tracking technology.&lt;br/&gt; https://www.meta.com/quest/products/quest-2/tech-specs/#tech-specs</td></tr><tr><td>Wooden plate (20 x 20 cm)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

mixed reality for education (mre) implementation and results in online classes for engineering

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many industries, empowering some sectors and causing many others to disappear. The education sector is not exempt from major changes; in some countries or cities, classes were taught 100% online for at least 1 year. However, some university careers need laboratory practices to complement learning, especially in engineering areas, and having only theoretical lessons online could affect their knowledge. For this reason, in this work, a mixed reality system called mixed reality for education (MRE) was developed to help students develop laboratory practices to complement online classes. An experiment was carried out with 30 students; 10 students did not use MRE, 10 used MRE, and 10 more used MRE with teacher feedback. With this, one can see the advantages of mixed reality in the education sector. The results show that using MRE helps to improve knowledge in engineering subjects; the students obtained qualifications with grades 10% to 20% better than those who did not use it. Above all, the results show the importance of feedback when using virtual reality systems.

This section shows the results obtained from the experiment. First, some details of how the experiment was carried out are explained, then the tests carried out on the students of the experiment are shown, and moreover, the results of the tests are presented. Finally, an analysis using one student of each group is described.
One of the biggest problems that the pandemic brought to engineering education was that it was not possible to carry out face-to-face laboratory practices, which has a dir...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Mixed Reality for Education MRE Implementation and Results in Online Classes for Engineering at JoVE.com

Mixed Reality for Education MRE Implementation and Results in Online Classes for Engineering

In this work, a mixed reality system called MRE was developed to help students develop laboratory practices complementing online classes. An experiment was carried out with 30 students; 10 students did not use MRE, 10 used MRE, and 10 more used MRE with teacher feedback.

Mixed Reality for Education (MRE) Implementation and Results in Online Classes for Engineering

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many industries, empowering some sectors and causing many others to disappear. The education sector is not exempt from ...

mixed-reality-for-education-mre-implementation-results-online-classes

Universidad de Cartagena UDEC

Research

JoVE Journal

Engineering

558 Views.  Panamerican University. In this work, a mixed reality system called MRE was developed to help students develop laboratory practices complementing online classes. An experiment was carried out with 30 students; 10 students did not use MRE, 10 used MRE, and 10 more used MRE with teacher feedback. 

Video: Mixed Reality for Education MRE Implementation and Results in Online Classes for Engineering

Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection

A thermally and mechanically stabilized fiber interferometer suited for examining ultra-high quality factor microcavities is fashioned. After assessing its free spectral range (FSR), the module is put in parallel with a fiber taper-microcavity system and then calibrated through isolating and eliminating random shifts in the laser frequency (i.e. laser jitter noise). To realize the taper-microcavity junction and to maximize the optical power that is transferred to the resonator, a single-mode optical fiber waveguide is pulled. Solutions containing polystyrene nanobeads are then prepared and flown to the microcavity in order to demonstrate the system&#8217;s ability to sense binding to the surface of the microcavity. Data is post-processed via adaptive curve fitting, which allows for high-resolution measurements of the quality factor as well as the plotting of time-dependent parameters, such as resonant wavelength and split frequency shifts. By carefully inspecting steps in the time-domain response and shifting in the frequency-domain response, this instrument can quantify discrete binding events.

A reference interferometer technique, which is designed to remove undesirable laser jitter noise for nanodetection, is utilized for probing an ultra-high quality factor microcavity. Instructions for assembly, setup, and data acquisition are provided, alongside the measurement process for specifying the cavity quality factor.

A thermally and mechanically stabilized fiber interferometer suited for examining ultra-high quality factor microcavities is fashioned. After assessing ...

A Networked Desktop Virtual Reality Setup for Decision Science and Navigation Experiments with Multiple Participants

Investigating the interactions among multiple participants is a challenge for researchers from various disciplines, including the decision sciences and spatial cognition. With a local area network and dedicated software platform, experimenters can efficiently monitor the behavior of the participants that are simultaneously immersed in a desktop virtual environment and digitalize the collected data. These capabilities allow for experimental designs in spatial cognition and navigation research that would be difficult (if not impossible) to conduct in the real world. Possible experimental variations include stress during an evacuation, cooperative and competitive search tasks, and other contextual factors that may influence emergent crowd behavior. However, such a laboratory requires maintenance and strict protocols for data collection in a controlled setting. While the external validity of laboratory studies with human participants is sometimes questioned, a number of recent papers suggest that the correspondence between real and virtual environments may be sufficient for studying social behavior in terms of trajectories, hesitations, and spatial decisions. In this article, we describe a method for conducting experiments on decision-making and navigation with up to 36 participants in a networked desktop virtual reality setup (i.e., the Decision Science Laboratory or DeSciL). This experiment protocol can be adapted and applied by other researchers in order to set up a networked desktop virtual reality laboratory.

This paper describes a method for conducting multi-user experiments on decision-making and navigation using a networked computer laboratory.

Investigating the interactions among multiple participants is a challenge for researchers from various disciplines, including the decision sciences and ...

Behavior

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences

Over the past ten years, research into students&#39; emotions in educational environments has increased. Although researchers have called for more studies that rely on objective measures of emotional experience, limitations on utilizing multi-modal data sources exist. Studies of emotion and emotional regulation in classrooms traditionally rely on survey instruments, experience-sampling, artifacts, interviews, or observational procedures. These methods, while valuable, are mainly&#160;dependent on participant or observer subjectivity and is limited in its authentic measurement of students&#39; real-time performance to a classroom activity or task. The latter, in particular, poses a stumbling block to many scholars seeking to objectively measure emotions and other related measures in the classroom, in real-time.
The purpose of this work is to present a protocol to experimentally study students&#39; real-time responses to exam experiences during an authentic assessment situation. For this, a team of educational psychologists, engineers, and engineering education researchers designed an experimental protocol that retained the limits required for accurate physiological sensor measurement, best-practices of salivary collection, and an authentic testing environment. In particular, existing studies that rely on physiological sensors are conducted in experimental environments that are disconnected from educational settings (e.g., Trier Stress Test), detached in time (e.g., before or after a task), or introduce analysis error (e.g., use of sensors in environments where students are likely to move). This limits our understanding of students&#39; real-time responses to classroom activities and tasks. Furthermore, recent research has called for more considerations to be covered around issues of recruitment, replicability, validity, setups, data cleaning, preliminary analysis, and particular&#160;circumstances (e.g., adding a variable in the experimental design) in academic emotions research that relies on multi-modal approaches.

An experimental design was developed to investigate the real-time influences of an examination experience to assess the emotional realities students experience in higher education settings and tasks. This design is the result of a cross-disciplinary (e.g., educational psychology, biology, physiology, engineering) and multi-modal (e.g., salivary markers, surveys, electrodermal sensor) approach.

Over the past ten years, research into students&#39; emotions in educational environments has increased. Although researchers have called for more studies ...

Online Explorative Study on the Learning Uses of Virtual Reality Among Early Adopters

Virtual reality (VR) has shown great educational potential because it makes it possible to simulate any desired situation or event, thus playing an important role in addressing current educational challenges. Despite the unlimited learning possibilities that VR may offer, unless users are willing to apply virtual devices to education, the investment of time, money, and effort will be fruitless. It is therefore crucial to assess the educational interest of the first generation of VR users and to identify their current needs. To this end, in this study we designed an online questionnaire and applied it through the SaaS (Software as a service) of a private server. The sample consisted of 117 early VR adopters recruited via a main portal of communication and information technologies in Spain. In order to engage participants, we posted a thread in the main forum, which is dedicated to the advances and potential uses of VR. Once the responses were gathered, we analyzed the relationship between 12 variables (mean contrasts with Snedecor&#39;s F, and contingency analysis with chi-square and Sommer&#39;s d). The results showed that the current profile of a VR user is a male over 35 years old, with university studies, and who has purchased his viewer recently (&#60;1 year). As for the learning and teaching applications that these users were interested in, only 13.7% of the participants in this study use VR for educational purposes, although 28.2% were interested, indicating that perhaps the lack of applications or learning experiences may be hampering the use of VR within education. Almost half of the early adopters surveyed would like to learn using VR technology and are somehow optimistic about the relationship between VR and education, particularly those who are younger.

This article describes the profile of Spanish early adopters of virtual reality and their interests and preferences regarding learning and educational applications for this technology. To this aim, we designed an online questionnaire and interviewed 117 users of the main virtual reality forum on the Internet.

Virtual reality (VR) has shown great educational potential because it makes it possible to simulate any desired situation or event, thus playing an ...

Evaluating Usability Aspects of a Mixed Reality Solution for Immersive Analytics in Industry 4.0 Scenarios

In medicine or industry, the analysis of high-dimensional data sets is increasingly required. However, available technical solutions are often complex to use. Therefore, new approaches like immersive analytics are welcome. Immersive analytics promise to experience high-dimensional data sets in a convenient manner for various user groups and data sets. Technically, virtual-reality devices are used to enable immersive analytics. In Industry 4.0, for example, scenarios like the identification of outliers or anomalies in high-dimensional data sets are pursued goals of immersive analytics. In this context, two important questions should be addressed for any developed technical solution on immersive analytics: First, is the technical solutions being helpful or not? Second, is the bodily experience of the technical solution positive or negative? The first question aims at the general feasibility of a technical solution, while the second one aims at the wearing comfort. Extant studies and protocols, which systematically address these questions are still rare. In this work, a study protocol is presented, which mainly investigates the usability for immersive analytics in Industry 4.0 scenarios. Specifically, the protocol is based on four pillars. First, it categorizes users based on previous experiences. Second, tasks are presented, which can be used to evaluate the feasibility of the technical solution. Third, measures are presented, which quantify the learning effect of a user. Fourth, a questionnaire&#160;evaluates the stress level when performing tasks. Based on these pillars, a technical setting was implemented that uses mixed reality smartglasses to apply the study protocol. The results of the conducted study show the applicability of the protocol on the one hand and the feasibility of immersive analytics in Industry 4.0 scenarios on the other. The presented protocol includes a discussion of discovered limitations.

This protocol delineates the technical setting of a developed mixed reality application that is used for immersive analytics. Based on this, measures are presented, which were used in a study to gain insights into usability aspects of the developed technical solution.

In medicine or industry, the analysis of high-dimensional data sets is increasingly required. However, available technical solutions are often complex to ...

Interactive and Visualized Online Experimentation System for Engineering Education and Research

Experimentation is crucial in engineering education. This work explores visualized experiments in online laboratories for teaching and learning and also research. Interactive and visualizing features, including theory-guided algorithm implementation, web-based algorithm design, customizable monitoring interface, and three-dimensional (3-D) virtual test rigs are discussed. To illustrate the features and functionalities of the proposed laboratories, three examples, including the first-order system exploration using a circuit-based system with electrical elements, web-based control algorithm design for virtual and remote experimentation, are provided. Using user-designed control algorithms, not only can simulations be conducted, but real-time experiments can also be conducted once the designed control algorithms have been compiled into executable control algorithms. The proposed online laboratory also provides a customizable monitoring interface, with which users can customize their user interface using provided widgets such as the textbox, chart, 3-D, and camera widget. Teachers can use the system for online demonstration in the classroom, students for after-class experimentation, and researchers to verify control strategies.

This work describes an online experimentation system that provides visualized experiments, including the visualization of theories, concepts, and formulas, visualizing the experimental process with three-dimensional (3-D) virtual test rigs, and visualizing the control and monitoring system using widgets such as charts and cameras.

Experimentation is crucial in engineering education. This work explores visualized experiments in online laboratories for teaching and learning and also ...

A Virtual Simulation Experiment of Mechanics: Material Deformation and Failure Based on Scanning Electron Microscopy

This work presents a set of comprehensive virtual experiments to detect material deformation and failure. The most commonly used pieces of equipment in mechanics and material disciplines, such as a metallographic cutting machine and a high-temperature universal creep testing machine, are integrated into a web-based system to provide different experimental services to users in an immersive and interactive learning environment. The protocol in this work is divided into five subsections, namely, the preparation of the materials, molding the specimen, specimen characterization, specimen loading, nanoindenter installation, and SEM in situ experiments, and this protocol aims to provide an opportunity for users regarding the recognition of different equipment and the corresponding operations, as well as the enhancement of laboratory awareness, etc., using a virtual simulation approach. To provide clear guidance for the experiment, the system highlights the equipment/specimen to be used in the next step and marks the pathway that leads to the equipment with a conspicuous arrow. To mimic the hands-on experiment as closely as possible, we designed and developed a three-dimensional laboratory room, equipment, operations, and experimental procedures. Moreover, the virtual system also considers interactive exercises and registration before using chemicals during the experiment. Incorrect operations are also allowed, resulting in a warning message informing the user. The system can provide interactive and visualized experiments to users at different levels.

This work presents a three-dimensional virtual simulation experiment for material deformation and failure that provides visualized experimental processes. Through a set of experiments, users can become familiar with the equipment and learn the operations in an immersive and interactive learning environment.

This work presents a set of comprehensive virtual experiments to detect material deformation and failure. The most commonly used pieces of equipment in ...

WebVR-Based Virtual Reality Laboratory System for Immersive Online Experiments

Online Virtual Reality Networked Control Laboratory Applied in Control Engineering Education

Online laboratories play an important role in engineering education. This work discusses a WebVR-based virtual laboratory system. The user enters the simulated laboratory environment through a virtual reality (VR) device and interacts with the experimental equipment, similar to hands-on experiments in a physical laboratory. In addition, the proposed system allows users to design their own control algorithms and observe the effects of different control parameters to enhance their understanding of the experiment. To illustrate the features of the proposed virtual laboratory, an example is provided in this paper, which is an experiment on a double inverted pendulum system. The experimental results show that the proposed system allows users to conduct experiments in an immersive and interactive manner and provides users with a complete experimental process from principal design to experimental operation. A solution is also provided to change any virtual laboratory into a WebVR-based virtual laboratory for education and training.

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Engineering Education via WebVR-Based Online Laboratories

This study describes a WebVR-based online virtual reality (VR) laboratory system that provides users with immersive and interactive experimentation capabilities supported by VR devices. The proposed system not only helps to enhance the realism of user participation in online experiments but is also applicable to a wide range of online laboratory frameworks.

Online laboratories play an important role in engineering education. This work discusses a WebVR-based virtual laboratory system. The user enters the ...

Motor Imagery Using VR Digital Avatars in a Brain-Computer Interface System

Motor Imagery Performance Through Embodied Digital Twins in a Virtual Reality-Enabled Brain-Computer Interface Environment

This study introduces an innovative framework for neurological rehabilitation by integrating brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and virtual reality (VR) technologies with the customization of three-dimensional (3D) avatars. Traditional approaches to rehabilitation often fail to fully engage patients, primarily due to their inability to provide a deeply immersive and interactive experience. This research endeavors to fill this gap by utilizing motor imagery (MI) techniques, where participants visualize physical movements without actual execution. This method capitalizes on the brain's neural mechanisms, activating areas involved in movement execution when imagining movements, thereby facilitating the recovery process. The integration of VR's immersive capabilities with the precision of electroencephalography (EEG) to capture and interpret brain activity associated with imagined movements forms the core of this system. Digital Twins in the form of personalized 3D avatars are employed to significantly enhance the sense of immersion within the virtual environment. This heightened sense of embodiment is crucial for effective rehabilitation, aiming to bolster the connection between the patient and their virtual counterpart. By doing so, the system not only aims to improve motor imagery performance but also seeks to provide a more engaging and efficacious rehabilitation experience. Through the real-time application of BCI, the system allows for the direct translation of imagined movements into virtual actions performed by the 3D avatar, offering immediate feedback to the user. This feedback loop is essential for reinforcing the neural pathways involved in motor control and recovery. The ultimate goal of the developed system is to significantly enhance the effectiveness of motor imagery exercises by making them more interactive and responsive to the user's cognitive processes, thereby paving a new path in the field of neurological rehabilitation.

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Neurorehabilitation Through EEG, Motor Imagery, and Virtual Reality

Motor imagery in a virtual reality environment has wide applications in brain-computer interface systems. This manuscript outlines the use of personalized digital avatars that resemble the participants performing movements imagined by the participant in a virtual reality environment to enhance immersion and a sense of body ownership.

This study introduces an innovative framework for neurological rehabilitation by integrating brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and virtual reality (VR) ...

Bioengineering

Bridging the Technology Divide in the COVID-19 Era: Using Virtual Outreach to Expose Middle and High School Students to Imaging Technology

Increasing the diversity of students choosing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is an area of intense focus across the USA, especially in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12)-focused pipeline programs in medical schools. A diverse STEM workforce contributes to better problem-solving and equity in health care. Two of the many major barriers for rural students are the lack of sufficient STEM role models and limited access to technology in the classroom. Medical schools often serve as an important resource for students in the local community who can easily gain access to STEM professionals and modern technology through on-campus, sponsored events and STEM outreach to the local classrooms. However, underrepresented minority (URM) students often live in socioeconomically distressed parts of rural states such as Arkansas, where access to STEM role models and technology is limited. Virtual learning in the COVID-19 era has proven that the imaging technology resources of a medical school can be harnessed to reach a wider audience, especially students living in rural areas far from the medical school campus.

This article presents an overview of how synchronous web-based virtual outreach can be used to expose 6th-12th grade students to advanced imaging technologies such as ultrasound, computerized tomography, and electroencephalography. The paper discusses the methods and equipment needed to livestream integrated educational sessions for effective student engagement in STEM.

Increasing the diversity of students choosing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is an area of intense focus ...