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Article

Application of Sustainable Development of Teaching in Engineering Education: A Case Study of Undergraduate Course Design of Raman Spectroscopy Based on Virtual Reality (VR) Technology

by
Fei Li
1,2,
Jianfeng Jiang
2,
Qingao Qin
2,
Xiaobo Wang
3,*,
Guoqiang Zeng
1,2,*,
Yi Gu
1,2 and
Wentai Guo
4
1
Applied Nuclear Technology in Geosciences Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
2
College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
3
College of Tourism and Urban-Rural Planning, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
4
Institute of Plasma Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230031, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1782; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031782
Submission received: 15 December 2022 / Revised: 11 January 2023 / Accepted: 13 January 2023 / Published: 17 January 2023
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Education and Approaches)
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Abstract

:
One of the core objectives of the Washington Agreement, the most influential international agreement on the mutual recognition of degrees in engineering education, is to ensure the continuous improvement of professional teaching. Education for sustainable development is a vital direction of teaching reform and development of higher engineering education. Taking a Raman spectroscopy course as an example, this paper discusses VR-based course design and the strengths and limitations of a VR-based course. The idea of computational thinking and immersive learning is realized by introducing VR technology. Based on the research status in the field of Raman spectroscopy, the contents of 10 Raman spectroscopy courses are redesigned. Through a questionnaire survey, peer review, and interview, the rationality of the course design is evaluated, and based on this, a feedback mechanism is established to ensure the continuous improvement of the course. Eventually, the advantages and disadvantages of the new curriculum are evaluated, and the development direction and limitations of the corresponding teaching model are put forward. According to the research, although 85% of the students said that it is difficult to accept the VR-based course at short notice, 90% and more of the students recognize this new teaching model. They believe that the VR-based course changes their traditional learning habits and helps cultivate self-learning ability. The research results can be utilized as a crucial reference for engineering education reform and provide a reliable model for the sustainable development of education.

1. Introduction

Early in September 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) issued by the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development pointed out the goals and directions of global development from 2015 to 2030. Among them, promoting the training of engineering and scientific talents for the sustainable development of education is of great significance. With the increasing attention given by the international community to the sustainable development of education, the innovation and breakthrough of existing education and teaching methods are the urgent targets in this field. While leading the reform of international higher engineering education, the concept of the sustainable development of education has gradually become a vital choice to improve the education quality. At present, the sustainable development reform of higher engineering education is in the stage of exploration and research. As a key course in higher engineering education, spectroscopy is of great value and necessity to improve its traditional teaching mode by organic integration of the concept of sustainable development and curriculum teaching.
Spectroscopy has been in development for more than a hundred years since 1666, when Newton broke down sunlight through a prism. Spectroscopy is the study of the spectral production of matter and its interaction within. According to the research methods, spectroscopy is divided into emission spectroscopy, absorption spectroscopy, and scattering spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy is one of the most popular spectroscopy techniques in scattering spectroscopy [1,2].
In C.V. Raman’s experiment in 1928, it was found that when monochromatic light with a much smaller wavelength than the sample particle size irradiates a gas, liquid, or transparent sample, most of the light will be transmitted as before, while a small part will be scattered at different angles to produce scattered light. In the vertical observation, in addition to Rayleigh scattering with the same frequency as the original incident light, there is a series of symmetrical distributions of a number of very weak Raman spectral lines that have displacement with the incident light frequency, which is called the Raman effect [3,4]. It is caused by the inelastic scattering of photons by molecules, which produces wavelengths different from the incident light. With the advent of tunable lasers in the 1970s, resonance Raman spectroscopy (RRS), surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and mixed surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy (SERRS) were gradually developed to further enhance the intrinsic weak Raman signal.
Due to the good performance in quantitative analysis in the experiment and production, Raman spectroscopy is a vital method. At the same time, it can ensure that the sample is not damaged. Especially in sample preparation and sample detection, a certain amount of trace can be taken to meet the needs of the experiment. Therefore, Raman spectroscopy has been widely used in chemistry [5,6,7], physics [8,9], biology [10,11], and medicine [12].
Unfortunately, there are few universities performing deep research on Raman spectroscopy teaching methods at present. Most of the undergraduate teaching of spectroscopy (for instance, Beijing Institute of Technology) mainly adopts the teaching mode of combining theory and experiment. This kind of traditional teaching mode lacks intuition, and the abstract description makes it difficult for students to understand the physical mechanism and analysis strategy of Raman spectrum formation. In addition, Raman spectroscopy has not been widely used in undergraduate teaching, because large standard spectral databases for daily use are not available, which is detrimental to enhancing the sustainability awareness, knowledge, skills, and values of future engineers and to leading the transformation of society and industry toward sustainable development.
In the past few years, the rapid development of laser technology and VR technology has been increasingly applied in higher education [13,14,15,16,17]. Mechanical manufacturing, medicine, and other disciplines have introduced relatively satisfied VR-assisted teaching technology and built VR teaching laboratories.
Therefore, in the teaching of Raman spectroscopy, VR technology can be brought in to provide students with a new way of visual and interactive knowledge acquisition, and promote students to learn the key points of Raman spectroscopy through immersive experience. Based on the basic principles and related applications of Raman spectra, this paper aims to establish a VR-based Raman spectroscopy curriculum reform. The purpose is to build a virtual platform and design supporting teaching content, stimulate students’ learning interest, optimize the education process, and cultivate a personalized, innovative, and sustainable development concept of talent. Eventually, this new method can be regarded as a significant reference and guide book for sustainable development of an engineering teaching sample.

2. Materials and Methods

In order to construct the curriculum reasonably, and optimize the learning process, this paper takes the cultivation of students’ engineering ability as the core objective. VR technology, computational thinking, and immersive learning are the technical support. VR technology is used as a tool for this research, which aims to achieve computational thinking and immersive learning methods. The mainstream Raman spectrometers in the market are investigated as the basis for designing VR experiments in the classroom. The training objectives of senior undergraduate students are analyzed and the curriculum of Raman spectroscopy is redesigned. Evaluation and feedback are given through a questionnaire, peer review, and interview to carry out continuous improvement on this new engineering teaching mode, and finally complete the closed loop of curriculum reform (see Figure 1). The following is a detailed explication of the materials and methods.

2.1. VR Technology

VR is a fusion application of various technologies, including computer graphics technology, human–computer interaction technology, artificial intelligence technology, and sensing technology. By combining various technologies together, a virtual environment can be created, thus forming tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory, and other feelings. Using the available 3D data, it can not only construct the simulation environment, but has also made remarkable progress in 3D image generation and display technology [18,19]. It is also increasingly reflecting intelligence and humanization. In order to enable students to understand and master the physical mechanism and application process of Raman spectroscopy, in this paper, VR technology is designed to enable students to immerse themselves in the situation from the perspective of the first person.

2.2. Computational Thinking and Immersive Learning

Computational thinking is based on the ability and limitations of the computational process [20,21,22]. For two completely unrelated independent objects (complex Raman spectra and the students’ learning ability), based on the computational thinking, we design different course tasks. Through analysis, selection, and optimization, the content of the new course will be more scientific and more consistent with the students’ learning ability, including the current application of Raman spectroscopy technology.
Immersive learning refers to providing students with a near-real learning environment through VR technology [23,24,25]. With the virtual learning environment, students will improve their skills through highly interactive participation and practice. Using the immersive learning method, students can focus more on their learning tasks. The memory effect of multiple channels is higher than that of a single channel; therefore, immersive learning can mobilize multiple senses to achieve a better memory effect of the brain. With the help of VR, students can utilize their imagination and put themselves in the learning scene to experience the details in practice.

2.3. Raman Spectrometer

At present, the Raman spectrometer in the market is mainly used in physics, chemistry, biology, and medical experiments because of its relatively simple structure, easy operation, and high accuracy. Table 1 shows four Raman spectroscopes that are mainstream in the market.

2.4. Course Requirements

According to the method of curriculum design in pedagogy, as well as the professional teaching content, the course of Raman spectroscopy in universities is redesigned [26,27,28,29]. The total curriculum design period is 32 (see Table 2) and the detailed process is shown in the third part of this paper. This course is designed for senior undergraduates who are majoring in nuclear engineering, physics, optical information science, and technology and have basic knowledge of atomic and nuclear physics and quantum mechanics. The main purposes of the new designed course are: (1) students can master the principle and characteristics of Raman spectra; (2) students can understand the relationship between material structure and spectroscopy; (3) students will gain further ideas on the application of Raman spectroscopy in modern life, science, technology, and other fields. By understanding the application of Raman spectroscopy theory and technology in practice and its relationship with physics and chemistry, students‘ comprehensive knowledge ability, independent thinking ability, learning consciousness, and innovation consciousness can be cultivated.

2.5. Evaluation Methods

In this work, three different assessment methods are used: questionnaire, interview, and peer review.
The questionnaire is a research method to explore the current situation. This paper designs the questionnaire from the dimensions of learning ability, professional cognition, opinions and suggestions, attitudes, and views. Due to the consideration of achieving the research objectives and paying attention to the degree of cooperation of the research samples, twenty of the most representative questions are designed, aiming to analyze the actual situation of the course from three directions of course overview, development effect, and characteristics and problems.
The purpose of the interview is to comprehensively understand the students’ subjective feelings and evaluation of Raman spectroscopy VR courses. In order to guide students’ thinking, three questions are put forward to comprehensively analyze students’ cognition of the Raman spectroscopy VR course by comparing the immersive learning mode and traditional teaching methods.
In addition to evaluating from the student’s perspective, peer review is essential. Its purpose is to improve the entire evaluation system and make it professional and authoritative. In this work, well-known professors and scholars in the field are invited to review the teaching syllabus and obtain the evaluation through interview.

3. Course Design

Focusing on the idea of cultivating talents with the concept of sustainable development, this paper emphasizes the application of Raman spectroscopy with the virtual platform built by VR technology. According to the representative technical applications, the course content is designed into ten parts, as shown in Figure 2.

3.1. Study on Catalyst Activity in MTO Reaction

Understanding the effects and properties of coke in the methanol to olefins (MTO) process is critical to the strategy of improving catalyst life. Ultraviolet Raman (UV-Raman) is a valuable characterization tool to study it. However, the applicability of UV-Raman spectroscopy in MTO is affected by strong ultraviolet laser irradiation, which will lead to a high risk of sample damage [30,31,32]. The main content of this lesson is to study the influencing factors of coke on catalyst activity and the conditions of catalyst deactivation in the MTO reaction.
In the process of using UV-Raman to study the activity of catalysts, it is unrealistic for each student to use instruments due to limited resources. However, using VR technology, students can clearly observe the experimental process and images, gain a deeper understanding of the experimental principle and results, and quickly grasp the relevant knowledge of Raman spectroscopy.

3.2. Analysis of Properties of Different Coordination Compounds in NaF-AlF3 Molten Alumina Salt System

The calculation method and ligand structure of quantum chemistry and the aluminum fluoride system can be simulated by measuring in situ Raman spectra of NaF-AlF3 molten salts with different molar ratios at room temperature and high temperature [33,34]. The laboratory uses a Horiba Jobin Y’von LabRAM HR800 Raman spectrometer to measure the different molar ratios of the binary system of aluminum fluoride molten salt [35,36]. However, in the actual teaching, it is unrealistic to reproduce this experiment, and the structures of different coordination compounds in the NaF-AlF3 molten aluminum fluoride salt system are relatively complex, which makes it difficult for students to understand only through oral explanation or experimental introduction. Therefore, this lesson combines VR technology and immersion to reproduce the Raman spectrum analysis experiment of measuring the NaF-AlF3 molten salt system in a virtual world, and shows the specific structure of the complex to students. By participating in this process, students can gain a more solid grasp of the application of Raman spectroscopy.

3.3. Study of Bi2O3-MoO3 System by Raman Spectroscopy and Recently Developed Oxygen Derivative Method

The coordination of metal oxides and the length of the metal-oxygen bond can be analyzed by Raman spectroscopy [37,38]. It is difficult for students to gain an intuitive understanding of these processes. However, by immersion in VR, it becomes clearer in the process of determining the system structure of different complexes. At the same time, the specific structure of different systems is input through VR technology. The Raman spectroscopy principle is utilized to display the corresponding characteristic diagram. Implementing VR technology through the method of reverse analysis, students can more intuitively understand and achieve a better teaching effect.

3.4. Identifying Compounds

3.4.1. Identification of Elements and Compounds

THz-Raman is commonly used in biomolecular detection, chemical and trace detection, identification, and so on [39,40]. The results of the identification of explosives, drugs, and common elements by strong THz-Raman spectra have improved the sensitivity and reliability of chemical identification [41]. Students can clearly see the image display of some common elements through the Raman spectrometer based on VR technology, making the identification of polymorphism clearer.

3.4.2. Test for the Presence of a Compound

Raman spectroscopy can detect whether there are specific organic molecules in the target [42,43,44]. This lesson takes the detection of methanol in alcoholic beverages as an example. Methanol in alcoholic beverages can be determined by comparing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with Raman spectrometry. First, methanol/ethanol concentrations of different proportions are prepared and calibration curves are obtained. Then, the methanol content in actual samples is determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Raman spectrometry. Finally, the results of these two methods can be tested. Displaying through VR technology can achieve better results, which is very effective for strengthening students‘ understanding.

3.5. Study on the Chemical Structure of SERS

3.5.1. Research on the SERS Effect of Single Molecule

The relationship between local electromagnetic field enhancement and SERS enhancement has been determined, which enables the observation of single-molecule Raman spectra [45,46]. SERS technology not only has most advantages of the Raman spectrum, but also has high sensitivity, high precision, simple operation, etc., which is an extension of Raman spectrum application. Through VR technology, students can intuitively observe the SERS effect of a single molecule, which deepens their understanding of the principle of SERS and, further, Raman light.

3.5.2. Study on the Molecular Properties of Disodium Phthalate

Some scholars have successfully studied the properties of some molecules through SERS [47,48], and this lesson chooses to study the molecular properties of disodium phthalate. SERS is Raman spectra in a wider field of application, and the education is also significant in the teaching process. VR technology can be used to show the process that molecules adsorbed on the surface of metals or semiconductor nanoparticles enhance the Raman signal, to help students better understand SERS and the formation principle of SERS.

3.6. Detection of Pesticide Pollutants

3.6.1. SERS Detection of Acetamidine

Acetamidine is a neonicotinoid pesticide, which is widely used in modern agriculture. The presence of acetamidine in food products is potentially harmful to humans and has been implicated in the honeybee hive death crisis. Using SERS technology can rapidly, simply, and sensitively detect the acetamidine concentration in food [49].

3.6.2. Study on the Detection of Carbendazim (CBZ)

There are serious concerns about the possible health risks associated with CBZ, a fungicide widely used in agriculture, and using the SERS method for ultra-sensitive detection is quite effective [50,51].

3.6.3. Determination and Analysis of Acephate

Particulates and vapor around farm workers and methamidophos can be detected by SERS, the content of which may reach the level of parts per billion (PPB). Acephate can be detected in the gas phase and distinguished from insecticides with similar composition and structure in urine, including acephate metabolite degradation product methamidophos [52].
In addition to using SERS methods, the above courses also add infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry methods for comparison. Different methods of different spectral techniques are used to detect pesticide pollutants, and the advantages and disadvantages of different detection methods are obtained. Through the display of VR technology, students can learn the steps and details of SERS detection methods more clearly, to help students better understand the principle of SERS and the research process of certain substances, which will greatly improve the students’ understanding ability, strengthening the teaching effect.

3.7. Study on the Influence of Hydrogen Bonds on the Structural Properties of Aqueous Solutions

Raman spectroscopy can be used to study the microstructure and macroscopic physical properties of aqueous solution, which provides a new way to study the relationship between the microstructure and macroscopic properties of material by Raman spectroscopy [53,54]. In this section, VR technology is used to simulate the experiment of a Raman spectrometer measuring Raman spectra of different aqueous solutions. The experimental content is to measure the Raman spectral bands of chemical bonds in aqueous solutions with different solute concentrations, aiming to guide students to explore the relationship between the microstructure of aqueous solutions and macroscopic physical properties. The use of VR technology in this class simplifies the operation of the experiment and makes it easier for students to start the experiment.

3.8. Cancer Identification

Raman imaging technology can directly chemically image biomolecules in intact cells and tissues. In recent years, Raman imaging technology has been used more and more in cancer identification, and some new technologies based on Raman imaging have been developed [55,56]. This lesson will discuss the potential of using polarized Raman spectroscopy and Raman microscopy to distinguish cancer cells from normal cells. However, this part is difficult for undergraduate students to understand and it is not required to master. Therefore, in the teaching process, Raman spectrum teaching can be selected to expand, supplemented by VR technology for explanation.

3.9. Studies on Intracellular Biomolecular Culture

Raman spectroscopy can be used to obtain the information of biological molecules in cells. This information can be used to map the distribution of common biomolecules in cells, understand the biomolecular processes occurring in cells, and so on [57,58]. However, this lesson does not involve complicated cell culture operations. The teacher will collect enough Raman hyperspectral datasets in advance to map the distribution of common biological molecules (such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids) in cells and detect the early stages of apoptosis. Students can observe the distribution of biological molecules in cells through VR technology so that they can gain an intuitive understanding of this aspect and stimulate their interest in this aspect.

3.10. Nucleic Acid Structure Identification

Raman spectroscopy has been found to be suitable for detecting the structure of proteins and nucleic acids and analyzing their interactions with other biological molecules [59,60]. In class, students observe the standard Raman measurement experiment in the virtual laboratory through VR technology, and record the total Raman half bandwidth and corresponding global relaxation time of nucleic acid components. The difficulty lies in studying the molecular relaxation process and analyzing the relaxation mechanism. This part is difficult for undergraduate students to understand, not easy to master, and can be used as expansion, so interested students in the after-class can self-inquire to understand.

4. Results and Discussion

4.1. Features of VR-Based Course

The application of VR technology in the Raman spectroscopy course is studied. As a result, the VR-based course has unique advantages over traditional teaching methods, and faces some difficulties and challenges at the same time. It is summarized in Table 3.
The advantages of VR technology can be summarized into three points. First, VR technology can be used to display abstract knowledge clearly and stereoscopically (see Figure 3), which helps students understand physical principles and improve teaching quality and efficiency. Then, due to the limitations of experimental equipment and experimental sites, the experiments in the Raman spectroscopy course cannot be operated by every student. Some experiments are also dangerous, and students in the experimental process are prone to operational errors or experimental failure phenomena. VR technology has created conditions for experiments related to the Raman spectroscopy course, and also improves the fault tolerance of students‘ operations. Third, the VR teaching mode has changed the boring teaching form in the past and has enhanced the students’ sense of participation. While improving students’ interest in learning, it also cultivates students’ learning autonomy.
However, the application of VR technology in the field of engineering education is still in the exploratory stage, and it also faces some challenges in practical application. Raman spectroscopy courses have high requirements on VR technology (such as the need for accurate virtual simulation laboratories), so VR technology applied in the Raman spectroscopy course still needs to be continuously improved. At the same time, the use of high-level VR equipment will increase the cost of education and have higher requirements for school education funds. Compared with the traditional classroom teaching model, the new VR-based course is a test of the adaptability of students and teachers. In addition, it is necessary to explore the system and regulations for establishing VR classrooms. Although students have full autonomous and free operating space to learn in a VR class, they also need to be controlled and constrained to enable students to truly have a good learning platform and learning experience.

4.2. Questionnaire

In order to reflect students’ attitude on VR technology used in Raman spectroscopy learning more intuitively, twenty simple and straightforward questions, according to the psychometric paradigm method, are designed and utilized to summarize and collect data. Questions 1 and 2 are designed to count personal information, including age and nationality. Questions 3 to 9 are designed to understand students’ perception of VR technology. Questions 10 to 13 are designed to test the students’ learning level of Raman spectroscopy. Questions 14 to 16 are designed to collect students’ comments on the application of VR technology in the teaching of spectroscopy. Questions 17 and 18 are designed to distinguish students’ attitudes toward the ongoing development of VR teaching. Questions 19 to 20 are designed to analyze students’ outlook on the sustainable development of engineering teaching. The overall view of the results can be seen in Figure 4 and detailed analysis and discussion follow.

4.2.1. Personal Information

For Questions 1 and 2, basic personal information of students is investigated. In order to ensure the universality and rigor of the survey, 200 college students are selected, 100 males and 100 females each. According to our statistics, all the students are between 20 and 23 years old. Among them, 51 are aged 20, 53 are aged 21, 44 are aged 22, and 52 are aged 23. The constituent of distribution of nationality is 85% Asia, 7.5% America, 3.5% Europe, and 4% other continents. The Asian nationality consists of 170 Chinese students, where 82 are from Sichuan, 19 from Beijing, 21 from Shanghai, 25 from Guangzhou, and 23 from Liaoning (see Figure 5). Geographically, 95 college students are from economically developed areas and 105 are from economically backward areas. About 20% of students come from coastal areas, while the rest come from inland areas.

4.2.2. Students’ Perception of VR Technology

For questions 3 to 7, the survey shows that 80% of students know VR technology, 75% like man–machine communication, 95% are willing to try VR teaching, 60% are willing to promote VR teaching to people around them, and 53% think they can adapt to VR teaching. A total of 80% of the students who know VR technology are from coastal cities, and almost all the students who do not are from inland areas. Compared with inland cities, coastal cities have more advanced technologies. Students in coastal cities are exposed to more new technologies and have a stronger ability to understand new things, so they are more willing to accept emerging technologies. In addition, according to the questionnaire feedback from America and Europe, they all know VR technology. Western technology is more developed and VR equipment is updated faster, so they can come into contact with VR earlier and use it in class. In addition, large cities have abundant educational resources, more investment in education, better teaching conditions, stronger teaching staff, and higher overall teaching quality. Almost all students in large cities accept VR teaching. Due to the developed economy, a city such as Beijing has richer educational resources, which can promote VR education more effectively.
In view of the problems of 8 and 9, it turns out that 91% of students think using a VR technology classroom for teaching is more interesting, 76% students express that they will be able to concentrate more, and 54% of the students believe the VR technology can be helpful in simulation experiments in their professional field. In addition, 67% of the students feel that VR teaching could improve their study.
Basically, in this aspect, it is easy to indicate that the students are gradually losing interest in the class due to the tedious course setting, trivial knowledge points, lack of participation, boring learning process, and other reasons. On the other hand, in the process of VR immersive learning, they tend to remain focused because VR teaching provides more dimensions of participation in the learning experience, resulting in their learning improving accordingly.

4.2.3. Students’ Learning Level of Raman Spectroscopy

According to the survey in this part, most students will encounter certain difficulties in learning the Raman spectrum. Interestingly, 90% of them choose to ignore their confusion and only 12% would like to seek expansion after class. This shows a very serious phenomenon, that is, students’ subjective initiative is declining. More students choose passive acceptance rather than active acquisition. This has also been caused by the traditional teaching model for a long time.

4.2.4. Students’ Comments on the Application of VR Technology in the Teaching of Spectroscopy

Questions 14 to 16 show that 60% of students think that VR teaching can solve the puzzle of learning Raman spectrum knowledge, 82% of students think that through VR technology, they can learn more about the principle of Raman spectra. However, only 43% of students can accept the Raman spectrum experiment reconstructed by VR technology. Through this part of the survey, it is found that more than half of the students believe that they can receive some help in learning about Raman spectra with the help of VR technology.

4.2.5. Students’ Attitudes toward the Ongoing Development of VR Teaching

In terms of questions 17 and 18, 37% of the students think there is a lot of room for improvement in the current traditional teaching mode, 46% of the students think some changes can be made, 12% of the students think there is little need to change, and only 5% of the students think there is no need to change. In addition, 82% of students believe that teacher guidance combined with VR teaching will achieve twice the result with half the effort.
This part indicates that from the students’ point of view, they are eager to change the present teaching method. At the same time, they believe that VR technology can bring sustainable development for curriculum reform, especially on the basis of teacher guidance, and they can master knowledge better and faster.

4.2.6. Students’ Outlook on the Sustainable Development of Engineering Teaching

In terms of questions 19 and 20, 10% of the students think that the new classroom model will completely replace the traditional one, 87% of the students think that the two models complement each other, and 3% of the students think that the new classroom model will not replace the traditional one. In addition, 76% of students can accept that learning VR technology requires a certain knowledge basis and personal ability. Through the analysis of this part, it shows that there is great potential for the development of VR teaching in the future. Even if it requires a certain personal effort, most students can still accept it.

4.3. Interview

During the interview, we asked each student three identical questions. The first question is what items are considered difficult in Raman spectroscopy teaching based on computational thinking and VR technology. Nearly 85% of the students thought it was difficult to master computational thinking and VR technology, while 60% and 55% thought it was more challenging to simulate the visual environment and identify the Raman spectrum. The difficulties of computational thinking and VR technology in immersive learning are mainly shown by data collected from interviews. Students are somewhat unfamiliar with new things, so it requires them to know more about and find materials to master computational thinking and the VR effect simulation. In our research, a future direction is to let students find what they want to express quickly and concisely. The second question is whether agreeing to participate in various participatory activities can help develop self-learning ability. Ninety-two percent of the students agreed. The third question is whether immersive learning helps change some traditional habits. Ninety percent of the students thought it had been changed. It should be noted that some of the traditional habits here are incorrect, which often results in a slowing of the course or a decrease in motivation. However, at the same time, nearly 90 percent of the students’ responses indicated that they changed their habits. Some changes decreased slightly over time. To sum up, the immersive teaching method based on computational thinking and VR technology has changed students’ traditional learning habits, but more efforts are needed in continuous improvement. There are students who are against the VR technology or have not been exposed to VR technology, due to objective restrictions. On the one hand, the state needs to provide adequate financial support for the application of this technology in teaching, and on the other hand, schools and education departments at all levels need to increase the promotion of new digital teaching. At the same time, it is also necessary to consider whether the application of VR technology in the classroom is reasonable.

4.4. Peer Review

In the whole teaching process, five teachers from different majors were invited to discuss and evaluate the teaching plan (see Table 4). Discussion focused on two aspects: (1) which parts of the course are difficult for teachers? Four teachers believed that the main challenges were resource utilization and visual environment setting. Teachers need to quickly choose effective resources for their classes. Through the discussion of the following methods, the use of books and network resources will be adopted: inform the course content before class, let students be familiar with the course requirements, and complete the literature review and report. The visual environment requires the teacher to stand in the students’ field of view. According to different needs, they also need flexible use of different teaching aids and forms of expression. In addition, the idea must be detailed and comprehensive. The breakthrough requires teachers to eliminate the students’ hesitancy to the new teaching mode and inadaptability to the new environment within a limited time so that students can participate in the VR teaching process as soon as possible. (2) Is there potential to combine traditional teaching methods with immersive learning methods based on VR technology to enable students to learn more? Five teachers expressed a positive attitude. The immersive learning method based on VR technology has a positive impact on students’ learning enthusiasm, classroom effect, and learning habits.

5. Conclusions

The sustainable development of education is a crucial direction of the teaching reform and development of higher engineering education. This paper starts from the teaching methods and curriculum design of engineering education reform, aiming to find a breakthrough for the sustainable development of engineering education. Taking the design of a Raman spectroscopy undergraduate course improved by VR technology as an example, this paper expounds upon the application of sustainable development of teaching in engineering education through reasonable qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods. The conclusions are as follows:
i. This paper has reasonably arranged 10 course contents based on VR technology for Raman spectroscopy according to the representative knowledge points of Raman spectroscopy and the three core concepts of engineering education certification (student centering, outcomes-based education, and continuous quality improvement). The contents cover nuclear engineering, physics, optical information science, and technology, and they are designed as 32 class hours to ensure the rationality of the curriculum, which is conducive to cultivating students’ engineering abilities of comprehensive knowledge, independent thinking, active learning, and innovation.
ii. In order to evaluate the course from the perspective of students, this paper has designed a questionnaire survey based on the method of a psychometric paradigm, and has made a statistical analysis of students’ cognition of VR technology and their opinions on its application in spectroscopy teaching, students’ learning level of Raman spectroscopy, and students’ outlook on the sustainable development of engineering teaching. From the results, the differences in regional economic development affect the acceptance of emerging technologies by students from different regions. A VR course can improve students’ passive learning method caused by a long-term traditional teaching mode, and can help students learn relatively difficult Raman spectroscopy knowledge. In the future, the combination of VR teaching and traditional teaching is a teaching mode recognized by most students. In addition, this paper has designed three interview questions around students’ views on VR technology, computational thinking and immersive learning, and their impact on students’ learning habits, reflecting that the new teaching method has made progress in changing students’ traditional learning habits, which provides an important reference for the continuous improvement of the curriculum.
iii. The opinions of industry experts have been reviewed in this paper. The difficulties of the VR teaching process for teachers and the potential of combining traditional teaching methods with immersive learning methods have been discussed in depth. Five teachers from different majors believe that the main challenges are resource utilization and visual environment setting, and the method has a positive impact on students’ learning enthusiasm, classroom effects, and learning habits. Teachers can help students participate in the VR teaching process as soon as possible by eliminating their hesitancy to the new teaching mode and their maladjustment to the new environment in a limited time.
iv. As a tool used to assist classroom teaching, VR technology, compared with other flat video and 3D animation resources, has the advantages of stereoscopic and intuitive display of professional knowledge and improving students’ enthusiasm for learning. With the qualitative and quantitative analysis of this paper, it has been proven that VR technology has significant advantages in improving the quality of education and teaching in engineering teaching. In China, Beijing Normal University, Renmin University of China, East China University of Science and Technology, and other higher-education institutions have applied VR technology to classroom teaching. However, considering the difficulties for both student and teacher to adapt to the new teaching mode in a short time, the wide application of VR technology in the classroom is challenging. Compared with the traditional teaching mode, the cost of time and technology caused by this new technology needs to be studied, which is a problem to be solved in the future development of VR technology.
v. In the field of teaching, the concept of sustainable development is unswerving. First, training senior talents with practical and innovative abilities, especially engineering talents, is one of the crucial methods for scientific and technological progress and innovation. Then, as the core and pillar of developing college students‘ competencies of sustainable development, the curriculum requires people to adopt an interdisciplinary, integrated, and systematic way of thinking to solve problems. It requires people to shift from imparting theoretical knowledge to paying more attention to the cultivation of students’ innovative consciousness and practical ability. In essence, using VR technology to improve the teaching of Raman spectroscopy is a teaching form embedded with modern information technology, which can effectively promote the organic integration of the concept of sustainable development and Raman spectroscopy teaching. Finally, this paper has obtained feedback through the establishment of an evaluation system, and then has continuously improved the curriculum design so that the education reform model forms a closed loop of sustainable improvement.

Author Contributions

Investigation F.L.; validation J.J.; methodology Q.Q.; resources X.W. and G.Z.; data curation Y.G.; writing—original draft preparation, W.G.; funding acquisition, G.Z. and Y.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This work was funded by the Sichuan Province 2021–2023 Higher Education Talent Training Quality and Teaching Reform Project (No. JG2021-654), Sichuan Province 2021–2023 Higher Education Talent Training Quality and Teaching Reform Project (No. JG2021-674), and Graduate Quality Engineering Key Program of Chengdu University of Technology (No. 2022YJG115).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Ethic Committee Name: Ethics Committee of College of Nuclear Technology and Automation Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology. Approval Code: Experimental Research on Curriculum Teaching Reform. Approval Date: 01, 09, 2022.

Acknowledgments

We thank the assistance of the Academic Affairs Office of Chengdu University of Technology, and also CDUT Team 203 for the English language review.

Conflicts of Interest

We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, and there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service, and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of the manuscript.

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Figure 1. The loop of curriculum reform.
Figure 1. The loop of curriculum reform.
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Figure 2. Course design of Raman spectroscopy.
Figure 2. Course design of Raman spectroscopy.
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Figure 3. Logic diagram of principle description.
Figure 3. Logic diagram of principle description.
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Figure 4. The overall view of the results of twenty questions.
Figure 4. The overall view of the results of twenty questions.
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Figure 5. Regional distribution of students from China.
Figure 5. Regional distribution of students from China.
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Table
Table 1. Brief description of four mainstream Raman spectroscopes on the market.
Table 1. Brief description of four mainstream Raman spectroscopes on the market.
Spectrometer NameOriginPerformance FeatureTechnical IndexMain Application Areas
LabRAM XploRA INVFranceHaving automatic functions, including automatic focusing, automatic exposure, automatic self-inspection and automatic calibration functions.It can be built with three lasers: 532 nm, 638 nm and 785 nm
Grating: 4 gratings are fully automatic switching
Spectral range: from 100 cm−1 to 4000 cm−1, the maximum range varies according to the selected laser/grating
Laser power control: multi-stage laser power attenuator
QC/21CFR: automatic calibration/self-test		Biomedicine
LabRAM HR EvolutionFranceHigh flexibility, can achieve full-wavelength automatic switching in the single Raman spectrum, has the highest spectral resolution, with advanced 2D and 3D confocal imaging performance, etc.Spectral range: 200 nm to 2100 nm
Focal length: 800 mm
Spectrometer: spectral dispersion flat-field output, can use large-sized CCD detector
Laser power control: multi-stage laser power attenuation
Detector: large-chip-size air-cooled CCD of research level		Chemical structural identification
Invia ReflexBritainConfiguration flexibility, high sensitivity and reliability, simple operation, high degree of automationThe light transmission efficiency is greater than 30%
Spectral range: 200 nm to 1000 nm, spectral resolution: 1 cm−1
Spatial resolution: horizontal 0.5, vertical 2
Low wave number: 200 cm−1, 100 cm−1, 50 cm−1, 10 cm−1 for selection
Optional laser: ultraviolet to near-infrared, more than 10 different wavelengths for selection		Material
DXR 2xiThe United StatesWith high precision and simple operation, it can quickly realize data visualization, meet various application requirements of high-throughput data collection, and quickly realize data analysis and spectral analysisSpectral repeatability: better than 0.1 cm−1
Spatial resolution: 500 nm
The lowest wave number is 50 cm−1
The spectral range is 50–6000 cm−1
Spectral resolution < 2 cm-1		Nanotechnology, materials science, geology, pharmaceuticals
Table
Table 2. College Raman spectroscopy course syllabus.
Table 2. College Raman spectroscopy course syllabus.
Course TitleRaman Spectroscopy
Credit2
Total hours32
Applicable majorNuclear engineering
Physics
Optical information science and technology
Prerequisite courseAtomic and nuclear physics
Quantum mechanics
The position and function of this course in the professional course systemWith understanding of the application of Raman spectroscopy theory and technology in practice and the relationship with physics and chemistry, it can develop students’ comprehensive knowledge ability, independent thinking ability, learning consciousness, and innovation consciousness.
Teaching goalsStudents can master the principle and characteristics of Raman spectra
Students understand the relationship between material structure and spectroscopy
Students gain further ideas on the application of Raman spectroscopy in modern life, science, technology, and other fields.
Key points and difficultiesIdentifying compounds
Chemical structure of surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Detection of pesticide pollutants
Course Content and Class Hours
ChaptersPeriod Distribution
Introduction 1
Catalyst activity in MTO reaction2
Coordination compounds in NaF-AlF3 molten alumina salt system2
Bi2O3-MoO3 system by Raman spectroscopy and recently developed oxygen derivative method2
Identification of elements and compounds2
Test for the presence of a compound3
SERS effect of single molecule2
Molecular properties of disodium phthalate3
SERS detection of acetamidine2
Detection of carbendazim2
Determination and analysis of acephate3
Influence of hydrogen bonds on the structural properties of aqueous solutions2
Cancer identification2
Intracellular biomolecular culture2
Nucleic acid structure identification2
Table
Table 3. Advantages and challenges of VR technology in Raman spectroscopy course.
Table 3. Advantages and challenges of VR technology in Raman spectroscopy course.
NameContent
AdvantagesThe stereoscopic display of abstract knowledge will help students understand the physical principles of and improve the quality and efficiency of teaching
Create conditions for experiments related to the Raman spectroscopy course, and remove restrictions on experimental equipment, experimental sites, etc.
Increase the interest of learning, strengthen students’ sense of involvement, and cultivate students’ autonomy in learning
ChallengesVR technology applied in the Raman spectroscopy course needs to be improved
The investment in education will increase due to the allocation of VR equipment
The adaptability of students and teachers to the new teaching mode (VR-based course) needs to be improved
The use system and regulations of the VR classroom need to be improved
Table
Table 4. The basic information of participating teachers in peer review, problems they were observing, and corresponding suggestions.
Table 4. The basic information of participating teachers in peer review, problems they were observing, and corresponding suggestions.
NamePostResearch DirectionObservation FocusTargeting ProblemsRecommendation/Remark
Liangquan GeProfessorRaman spectroscopyThe role and significance of Raman spectroscopyIs immersive teaching based on VR technology effective in improving students’ level?The use of VR technology has increased students’ interest in this course and strengthened their understanding of Raman spectroscopy
Qingxian ZhangProfessorRadiation protectionFreezing point breakthrough classroom effectWhat methods should be taken for freezing point?Positive guidance
Guangxi WangProfessorNuclear instrumentsThe part of the class is relatively challenging for the teacherWhat details do teachers need to improve in immersion teaching?The main challenges are resource utilization, visual environment simulation, and freezing point breakthrough
Bo HuAssociate ProfessorVR technologyThe innovative effect of visual environmentIs the teaching method based on VR technology reasonable or not?Think carefully and comprehensively and boldly adopt new materials
Zhixing GuAssociate ProfessorNuclear physicsUtilization of Resources for Classroom EffectivenessWhat specific methods should be adopted in the utilization of resources, concerning students’ understanding of professional knowledge?Flexible use of teaching resources to stimulate students‘ interest in learning
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Li, F.; Jiang, J.; Qin, Q.; Wang, X.; Zeng, G.; Gu, Y.; Guo, W. Application of Sustainable Development of Teaching in Engineering Education: A Case Study of Undergraduate Course Design of Raman Spectroscopy Based on Virtual Reality (VR) Technology. Sustainability 2023, 15, 1782. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031782

AMA Style

Li F, Jiang J, Qin Q, Wang X, Zeng G, Gu Y, Guo W. Application of Sustainable Development of Teaching in Engineering Education: A Case Study of Undergraduate Course Design of Raman Spectroscopy Based on Virtual Reality (VR) Technology. Sustainability. 2023; 15(3):1782. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031782

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Fei, Jianfeng Jiang, Qingao Qin, Xiaobo Wang, Guoqiang Zeng, Yi Gu, and Wentai Guo. 2023. "Application of Sustainable Development of Teaching in Engineering Education: A Case Study of Undergraduate Course Design of Raman Spectroscopy Based on Virtual Reality (VR) Technology" Sustainability 15, no. 3: 1782. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031782

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