The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) asked Bondi Labs to assist them in developing a tool to help 1st year engineering students. USC had identified a trend where some 1st year students struggled to understand some key concepts. Together with the expert guidance of the Engineering Faculty, we developed two resources to address the problem.

The first resource was an shared VR experience that could be used during a lecture inside USC's Cave2 lab. In this experience the lecturer has control over a 3D hoist model and can show how different suspended weights affect the forces on the hoist. Presenting this experience in VR allows the students to better contextualise the relationship of math and reality.

​

The second resource was browser and windows based simulation that was designed for students to use. The same hoist and environment was presented however the students are asked to solve a range of maths problems according to the setup. The simulation offers a tutorial that refreshes students on the process they learned in class. After completing the tutorial they can progress to less guided scenarios.

​

After completion the engineering faculty reported back to us that the effects of the app were different across the student body. The students that struggled and were the focus of the project, performed better after using the app and had positive comments about the experience. Students who were already near the top of the class found the app to be boring and of little benefit. We view this as a success and expect that USC recommends the app to individuals based on their prior performance.

University of the Sunshine Coast