Holomech: an extended reality tool for supporting student motivation and perceived spatial reasoning in structural mechanics

Spatial intelligence is essential for understanding fundamental and applied engineering concepts, particularly in areas requiring spatial reasoning, such as mechanical engineering. However, traditional teaching methods often struggle to effectively enhance spatial intelligence, making it difficult f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Virtual reality : the journal of the Virtual Reality Society Vol. 29; no. 3; p. 121
Main Authors: Amouzgar, Kaveh, Mousavi, Mahmoud
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London Springer London 30.07.2025
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Artificial Intelligence
Augmented reality
Chemical engineering
Civil engineering
Cloud computing
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive load
Computer Graphics
Computer Science
Computer Science with specialization in Human-Computer Interaction
Crack propagation
Datavetenskap med inriktning mot människa-datorinteraktion
Deformation
Education
Educational technology
Electrical engineering
Embedded systems
Engineering education
Engineering Science with specialization in Solid Mechanics
Extended-reality
Hypotheses
Image Processing and Computer Vision
Intelligence
Internal forces
Learning
Mechanical engineering
Mechanics
Mechanics (physics)
Mixed reality
Original
Pedagogik
Pedagogy
Perceptions
Real time
Reasoning
Solid mechanics
Spatial intelligence
Students
Teaching methods
Teknisk fysik med inriktning mot hållfasthetslära
Toolkits
Usability
User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction
Virtual reality
Solid mechanics
Extended-reality
Virtual-reality
Spatial intelligence
Mechanical engineering
Engineering education
Augmented-reality
ISSN:1434-9957, 1359-4338, 1434-9957
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Spatial intelligence is essential for understanding fundamental and applied engineering concepts, particularly in areas requiring spatial reasoning, such as mechanical engineering. However, traditional teaching methods often struggle to effectively enhance spatial intelligence, making it difficult for students to grasp complex concepts. Extended reality (XR), which includes augmented, mixed, and virtual reality, offers a potential solution by blending real and digital environments to create interactive and engaging learning experiences. This study presents the development and evaluation of HoloMech, an XR-based learning application designed to support the teaching of stress and deformation in beam structures. HoloMech enables students to explore structural mechanics by manipulating loads and observing real-time beam deformation, internal forces, and stresses. The application was developed using Unity, the Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK), and custom C# scripts, with cloud-based computation of mechanical responses. The tool was deployed across three engineering programs at under-graduate level. A mixed-method evaluation was conducted using pre- and post-exposure questionnaires to assess students’ perceived motivation, spatial understanding, and cognitive experience. The results indicate that students found HoloMech engaging and helpful for understanding spatially intensive concepts, with reported increases in motivation and reductions in perceived cognitive load. These findings suggest that XR applications like HoloMech can complement traditional instruction and provide valuable pedagogical support in engineering education. Future work will include objective assessments of learning outcomes and cognitive load using validated instruments.
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ISSN:1434-9957
1359-4338
1434-9957
DOI:10.1007/s10055-025-01183-4