Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical and Civil Engineering

First Advisor

Luis Daniel Otero

Second Advisor

Mary Ann Gaal

Third Advisor

Juan C. Avendano Arbelaez

Fourth Advisor

Ashok Pandit

Abstract

E-learning has become a widespread and valuable tool for skill development. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessity and adaptability of this method increased drastically. Hence, numerous studies focused on understanding the effectiveness of this method. The academic literature highlights the need to explore alternative solutions that can increase a learner’s content retention and satisfaction when learning remotely. Modern technologies can be a great solution for this need with the correct application and development. This thesis analyzes the effects of technology on content retention, satisfaction, and learning curve through the following technologies: online platform, virtual reality (VR), and hologram display. A quantitative and qualitative pilot study was developed to analyze the impact of the three different methods where participants learned the basics of 3D printing. Based on the results, the online platform and the hologram display had a similar impact on content retention and hands-on performance. However, the hologram display had the highest satisfaction score among all the groups. VR was not the ideal tool for this type of training.

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