Chemical Engineering faculty receive grant to integrate VR into core curriculum
The CRLT Faculty Development Fund supports innovative teaching methods that enhance student learning at Michigan.
Chemical Engineering professors Albert Liu and Nicholas Kotov have received a $10,000 grant from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching in Engineering (CRLT-Engin) to fund the creation of more immersive learning experiences for students using Virtual Reality (VR) technology.
Liu and Kotov are also a part of the National Science Foundations (NSF) Center of Complex Particle Systems (COMPASS) where VR technology is becoming an essential tool for the engineering of systems of nano-, micro-, and macroscale particles with sophisticated three-dimensional organization.
The initiative, led by Liu and Kotov in cooperation with CRLT-Engin, aims to integrate VR into core chemical engineering courses to help students better understand complex 3D chemical interactions and structures.
Building on successful pilot implementation in ChE 496/696: Particles and Particle Systems, where student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, the project team will develop VR-enhanced teaching modules in collaboration with the Duderstadt Center’s Visualization Studio for integration into other undergraduate core courses in Chemical Engineering.
The project will also focus on maximizing accessibility of VR-assisted learning through acclimation exercises and evidence-based teaching practices that will ensure all students are able to benefit from the technology. This project is expected to directly impact over 300 chemical engineering students at U-M over the next two years.
The Faculty Development Fund grant is designed to support faculty in developing innovative projects that enhance teaching and learning, and encourages proposals that introduce new teaching methods, incorporate evidence-based practices, redesign curricula, apply equity-focused teaching frameworks, and offer professional development opportunities for faculty and graduate student instructors. Recipients of the grant must complete their projects within a two-year period and submit a final report detailing the outcomes and impacts of their work.