Learning comes in all different forms, and 911爆料网 heating and air conditioning (HAC) faculty are making sure their students are equipped with all the tools necessary to succeed. This past semester, they included virtual reality (VR) to the class repertoire.
John Moreno, Moraine Valley heating and air conditioning instructor, took on the task of learning about VR for one year and incorporating it into his classroom.
鈥淭his is simply a part of learning. I think it鈥檚 very advantageous. It鈥檚 like driver鈥檚 ed or astronaut training. There鈥檚 nothing like the real McCoy, but this is to get them all beefed up. Plus, the students can get hurt or electrocuted working on the real thing and this way they can鈥檛,鈥 Moreno said. 鈥淚n my day, we had a book and saw a grainy movie. To me, this is a big positive and will be more helpful. I love it and use it all the time. We鈥檙e always looking for new ways to teach.鈥
The HAC Department has seven headsets with pistol grips that each class can use. Moreno said the Introduction to Controls and the Installation and Services classes have used them, but incorporating VR more thoroughly into classes is still in its infancy. In the simulation, students can walk through a house or on the roof of a commercial building and access HAC units or thermostats to practice on. The headset guides students with prompts through different scenarios created by the instructor.
鈥淚t鈥檚 simple but good for muscle memory and helps you get familiar with the equipment. It鈥檒l tell you with prompts what tasks to do, and you鈥檒l see the checkmarks when it鈥檚 completed. It has all the OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] guidelines, so you know you鈥檙e doing everything right,鈥 said returning student David Dunski, of Oak Forest. 鈥淚鈥檝e always done virtual reality for fun, and this is a more fun way to do class.鈥
The spring semester was the first time Moreno incorporated VR into classes, but he hopes to expand it more this summer and introduce more robust usage in the fall.
For news media inquiries, contact Maura Vizza, Moraine Valley communications specialist and sports information coordinator, at (708) 974-5742 or Vizzam@morainevalley.edu.
