Equipment: VRMaS: VR Maker Space

With support from the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program), this Educational Instrumentation project at San Francisco State University (SFSU) will strengthen undergraduate learning in STEM education, particularly in Computer Science and Engineering (Civil, Computer and Mechanical). Specifically, this project will secure 10 VR workstations with the latest VR headsets and tracking devices, along with a large portable 3D wall display setup, which will allow students to to build expertise in learning and development of VR tools, systems, and technologies as well as reinforce engineering theory in various computer science (e.g., Human-Computer Interaction, Data Visualization, Computer Graphics System Design) and engineering (e.g., Mechatronics, Controls Systems Lab, Open Machine Learning, Senior Capstone) courses.

An estimated 400-450 students and at least 5 faculty members will utilize the project-funded equipment each year. In addition to providing improved experiences in the above-mentioned CS and engineering courses, other faculty members at College of Science and Engineering at SFSU can also utilize the resources for their technical studies or curriculum innovation.

This initiative aims to foster robust collaboration across different departments at SFSU, benefiting both faculty and students at various levels.

The goals of this project are to enrich the learning and experiences of undergraduate students by providing critical equipment in computer science and engineering. The project aims to promote change by creating the necessary technological space for the current VR STEM curriculum to be tested, developed, and disseminated at a large scale. VRMaS will facilitate cross-departmental collaboration at SFSU’s College of Science and Engineering, as well as within its close network of 23 campuses in the California State University system.

This new resource will increase opportunities for a diverse community of STEM students to engage with state-of-the-art virtual reality technology, create next generation applications, and acquire technical knowledge in science and engineering preparing them for entry into the workforce. The project will assess the impact of the project funded equipment using the incorporation of VR technology into computer science and engineering courses and evaluating its effect on student learning and success rate in these courses.

This project is funded by the HSI Program, which aims to enhance undergraduate STEM education, broaden participation in STEM, and increase capacity to engage in the development and implementation of innovations to improve STEM teaching and learning at HSIs.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.