Virtual Reality (VR) inom ingenjörsutbildningar i Sverige  - Möjligheter och utmaningar

Sammanfattning: Virtual reality (VR) is a computer generated 3D representation of real- or fictional environments. VR can be used to create real-life simulations that allow users to experience being present in the environment that being simulated. VR is applied for the purpose of education and training. However, technology takes on a growing role in education as it is considered an alternative to replace traditional teaching. The problem is that research on VR in engineering education is limited and it does not take into account the educators’ point of view regarding VR as an education tool. Which can lead to VR applications that do not hold in reality. The purpose of the study is to investigate VR's current position in engineering education through the identification of opportunities and challenges, based on the educators’ attitude towards VR as an education tool. A qualitative study was carried out to investigate the subject matter. The data for the study was collected via digital trace survey about VR and semi-structured interviews with programmanagers from various engineering programs. The results of the study shows that programmanagers have a positive attitude towards VR and that VR implementation as an education tool is limited within the universities / high schools that were investigated. Furthermore, VR is mostly used for research purposes. The lack of VR's application in education can be due to various factors that are regarded as challenges, which are: lack of confidence in VR-technology, lack of purpose of use and in need for development of VR simulations. There is also opportunities with VR which are: that VR has various positive individual effects, it is cost effective and that VR-laboratories are available for training and development purposes when applying VR.