Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CHARMING (Chemical Engineering Immersive Learning)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2020-11-01 do 2022-10-31
a. What is the problem/issue being addressed?
The chemical industry in Europe faces stiff competition as it fights to strengthen its position in the global market place. Europe’s greatest asset is its human capital, but the people working in such a technology-based environment, with the rise of the “smart factories” of Industry 4.0 need to be very well qualified. The situation of yesteryear, where a person could be trained to carry out a job for the whole of his/her career has long since gone; now the situation is one of developing skills and competencies, but then being able to adapt, re-learn and be able to cross sectors and disciplines in a world of work that is dynamic and subject to constant change. Continuous professional development, the stimulation of creative thinking and the motivation of youngsters for science & technology are high on the EU’s agenda. Recent developments in immersive learning technologies are providing exciting new tools for teaching and training programmes, yet they remain underutilised in science & technology education, and nowhere is this more true than in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering.
b. Why is it important for society?
With the transition to Industry 4.0 both European industry and the European education system need to be ready to adapt the current and future workforce to the radically changing competency and capability requirements. Given the nature, complexity and the hazards involved in manufacturing, the huge importance of high-quality education as well as the permanent in-training of employees (in particular operators) is more than obvious. Action towards various target groups is required and it is required now: young people, particularly girls, need to be inspired and motivated to become tomorrow’s engineers; schools and higher-education institutions need to adapt their teaching materials and instruction tools; industries need to streamline and manage their training programme (often more than 100 training and briefing sessions per year) in an effective and efficient way.
c. What are the overall objectives?
CHARMING, the European Training Network for Chemical Engineering Immersive Learning, was a key instrument for supporting the chemical process industry in their quest for talented and motivated employees of the future. The chemical industry was, and still is facing a huge transition from conventional chemical technologies to novel, intensified processes, which requires motivating young people to develop an interest in science and technology, support students to study chemical engineering and train employees in dedicated situations. CHARMING emphasised approaches that focused on learners’ understanding, creative design and out-of-the-box thinking. CHARMING’s vision was that of playful learning throughout a person’s life, where creativity was stimulated. CHARMING trained 15 ESRs in the research-based development, use and evaluation of immersive tools for the education of chemical engineering, including novel chemical technologies such as process intensification.
The chemical industry in Europe faces stiff competition as it fights to strengthen its position in the global market place. Europe’s greatest asset is its human capital, but the people working in such a technology-based environment, with the rise of the “smart factories” of Industry 4.0 need to be very well qualified. The situation of yesteryear, where a person could be trained to carry out a job for the whole of his/her career has long since gone; now the situation is one of developing skills and competencies, but then being able to adapt, re-learn and be able to cross sectors and disciplines in a world of work that is dynamic and subject to constant change. Continuous professional development, the stimulation of creative thinking and the motivation of youngsters for science & technology are high on the EU’s agenda. Recent developments in immersive learning technologies are providing exciting new tools for teaching and training programmes, yet they remain underutilised in science & technology education, and nowhere is this more true than in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering.
b. Why is it important for society?
With the transition to Industry 4.0 both European industry and the European education system need to be ready to adapt the current and future workforce to the radically changing competency and capability requirements. Given the nature, complexity and the hazards involved in manufacturing, the huge importance of high-quality education as well as the permanent in-training of employees (in particular operators) is more than obvious. Action towards various target groups is required and it is required now: young people, particularly girls, need to be inspired and motivated to become tomorrow’s engineers; schools and higher-education institutions need to adapt their teaching materials and instruction tools; industries need to streamline and manage their training programme (often more than 100 training and briefing sessions per year) in an effective and efficient way.
c. What are the overall objectives?
CHARMING, the European Training Network for Chemical Engineering Immersive Learning, was a key instrument for supporting the chemical process industry in their quest for talented and motivated employees of the future. The chemical industry was, and still is facing a huge transition from conventional chemical technologies to novel, intensified processes, which requires motivating young people to develop an interest in science and technology, support students to study chemical engineering and train employees in dedicated situations. CHARMING emphasised approaches that focused on learners’ understanding, creative design and out-of-the-box thinking. CHARMING’s vision was that of playful learning throughout a person’s life, where creativity was stimulated. CHARMING trained 15 ESRs in the research-based development, use and evaluation of immersive tools for the education of chemical engineering, including novel chemical technologies such as process intensification.
Researchers from three disciplines – chemical engineering, instructional psychology & pedagogy and immersive technology – worked together in the CHARMING project. They focused on three domains:
• The motivation of children to intuitively learn chemistry and chemical-engineering concepts in a game environment. The aim here was the development of interest and curiosity in chemical science and technology by engaging children via a digital tool that they were familiar and at ease with;
• Complementing formal chemistry and chemical-engineering courses and practical sessions in secondary schools and universities with playful e-learning and by supporting abstract conceptual understanding;
• The development of VR/AR and e-assessment in a chemical industry environment. Two particular topics were in focus: process operations and Health-Safety-Environment activities, because these involve decisions and handling events that could lead to dangerous situations when not carried out properly.
In the first domain game concepts and prototypes were developed that brought pupils intuitively in contact with basic chemistry and chemical-engineering concepts, thereby acquainting children with science & technology early on and motivating them to develop interest. The researchers were working on a database of materials, VR game design and production guidelines, instructional design guidelines and game prototypes. Activities dealt with alignment of the content with current programmes in primary schools throughout Europe and studying the potential of VR experiences, with special interest towards inclusion and orientation.
In the second domain it was investigated how abstract conceptual understanding that were taught in formal chemistry and chemical technology/engineering courses and practical sessions could be supported and complemented with playful e-learning for (secondary-school and) university students. This entailed technical research in how chemical engineering software could be connected to game software and utilization of virtual experiences in practical hands-on sessions, while developing instructional strategies and methods for evaluating learning gains in such environments.
In the third domain VR/AR approaches and prototypes were developed that trained employees in chemical industry in specific operations that were too hazardous or costly to train in reality. Specific attention was given to self-learning as well as assessment of employees during and after training. The work was particularly integrated as a joint prototype which was evaluated in the chemical industry. Given that we all experienced how ‘close contact training’ was not as evident as it was in the pre-CORONA era, these digital learning tools offered additional advantages in this respect.
• The motivation of children to intuitively learn chemistry and chemical-engineering concepts in a game environment. The aim here was the development of interest and curiosity in chemical science and technology by engaging children via a digital tool that they were familiar and at ease with;
• Complementing formal chemistry and chemical-engineering courses and practical sessions in secondary schools and universities with playful e-learning and by supporting abstract conceptual understanding;
• The development of VR/AR and e-assessment in a chemical industry environment. Two particular topics were in focus: process operations and Health-Safety-Environment activities, because these involve decisions and handling events that could lead to dangerous situations when not carried out properly.
In the first domain game concepts and prototypes were developed that brought pupils intuitively in contact with basic chemistry and chemical-engineering concepts, thereby acquainting children with science & technology early on and motivating them to develop interest. The researchers were working on a database of materials, VR game design and production guidelines, instructional design guidelines and game prototypes. Activities dealt with alignment of the content with current programmes in primary schools throughout Europe and studying the potential of VR experiences, with special interest towards inclusion and orientation.
In the second domain it was investigated how abstract conceptual understanding that were taught in formal chemistry and chemical technology/engineering courses and practical sessions could be supported and complemented with playful e-learning for (secondary-school and) university students. This entailed technical research in how chemical engineering software could be connected to game software and utilization of virtual experiences in practical hands-on sessions, while developing instructional strategies and methods for evaluating learning gains in such environments.
In the third domain VR/AR approaches and prototypes were developed that trained employees in chemical industry in specific operations that were too hazardous or costly to train in reality. Specific attention was given to self-learning as well as assessment of employees during and after training. The work was particularly integrated as a joint prototype which was evaluated in the chemical industry. Given that we all experienced how ‘close contact training’ was not as evident as it was in the pre-CORONA era, these digital learning tools offered additional advantages in this respect.
CHARMING was one of the (if not the) first large-scale initiatives on immersive training in the science & engineering domain with significant contributions from three expertise disciplines (chemical engineering, instructional psychology & pedagogy and immersive technology). The produced results (scientific papers, conference & workshop contributions, game & immersive reality prototypes, policy briefs) clearly have a large impact on the (scientific and operational) field and the (academic and industrial) actors. The different scientific disciplines learned from each other, and the industrial actors understood the opportunities and challenges better. New activities were planned based on the knowledge achieved, with the aim to implement prototypes into applications, both in educational and industrial environments.