Work in Progress: Flatlab - An Interactive Learning Environment for Experiential Learning, Problem-based Assessment, and Dynamic Instruction in Engineering

The goal of this work in progress is to design a virtual environment that integrates experiential learning with assessment and teaching. The proposed FLATLAB is a Focused Learning, Assessment, and Teaching Laboratory with a visuo-haptic interface. Its design embodies ASK (Assessment, Student, and Knowledge) centered learning. This paper focuses on a FLATLAB module for kinematics and dynamics of mechanisms, which lets students learn experientially by building and manipulating virtual planar mechanisms. The platform is initially being developed on a touch screen interface. The realism will be further enhanced by adding a haptic cursor that provides force feedback to the user’s fingertips. Experiential learning in this virtual environment will be integrated with theoretical concepts so that learners will analyze mechanisms to solve for variables of interest, such as displacements, velocities, accelerations, and forces, and use FLATLAB to verify their answers. The FLATLAB platform may be used to create dynamic exams and textbooks in which students can physically interact with exam questions and instructional examples. This work in progress describes the educational requirements of the system and the technical challenges involved in the initial development of the first FLATLAB module.