International Conference on Engineering Education – ICEE 2007 Controlling Technology: Engineering Education is not a Virtual Reality Game.

Abstract – Controlling the role of technology, during course presentation, is as important as it is for academics to reset themselves at the start of each academic year. If this is not done that gap between the students ’ ability and presented material will continuously widen. As the students entering university come from an ever increasing “virtual reality ” background the introduction of virtual reality in both the laboratories and classrooms widens the gap between the real world of engineering and the students ’ perceptions of what they are learning. Practical, hands-on laboratories are discussed as part of an engineering curriculum designed to expose students to real engineering problems and, at the same time, develop their imagination, visualisation and exploration skills