Review of an IEEE Scientific Paper
As part of the Library Exercise, I logged into the IEEE Xplore Digital Library to read and review a scientific paper. The paper I chose is “Evaluation of a video game adaptation for mechanical engineering educational laboratories” from the “Frontiers in Education Conference” held on 12-15 Oct. 2016. The paper was authored by Yizhe Chang, El-Sayed Aziz, Zhou Zhang, Mingshao Zhang and Sven K. Esche.
In the paper, the authors evaluate adapting a video game, the highly customisable first-person shooting game Garry’s Mod in particular, for purposes of providing students with an unrestrained virtual environment in which they can familiarise themselves with the concepts that they were taught during their course. This evaluation was achieved by sampling the performance of 110 undergraduate students pursuing degrees in mechanical engineering in such an environment. Their research found that the students’ performance in the simulation was dependent on their understanding of the coursework rather than prior knowledge of first-person shooting games. It also found that most students’ understanding of the course-taught concepts improved by encountering them within the game.
I think this is a novel idea, which could potentially be used in other similar applications outside of mechanical engineering where field study for students is impractical, impossible or downright dangerous.
