As funds become increasingly scarce for industrial programs, program managers, instructors and department heads are forced to find creative ways to provide students with the education they need with fewer resources. One area that has suffered greatly as a result of budget cuts is consumables for the classroom.
As I travel around helping instructors become more creative in their teaching efforts, I’m struck by the great deal of unnecessary waste I see in welding programs.
Nearly all programs use a large amount of consumable materials, like metal and welding rods. What welding program managers and instructors may not realize is there is a much more affordable solution available that allows students to practice their welding skills without creating so much waste.
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Not to be confused with virtual reality, the emerging concept of augmented reality welding is beginning to take hold in schools around the U.S.
Augmented reality technology combines real-world objects with multimedia simulation to create a virtual interaction within a student’s current environment. The end result is a realistic training experience through simulation.
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Designed to introduce students to the world of welding, augmented reality welding gives instructors the opportunity to present students with a series of American Welding Society (AWS) approved exercises where they begin to develop their welding skills. Students can then practice and perfect their skills related to to motion, arm position, and speeds.
All of this is done outside of the welding booth and without large investments in metal, welding rods or welding wire, ultimately creating substantial cost savings. I’ve been told in some cases by instructors who have implemented augmented reality welding technologies that this saved them nearly $1,000 per student per school year.
Cost savings aside, students also tend to respond well to augmented reality training. We continue to see report after report about the proven positive results of gamification in the classroom, and this situation is no different. The gaming environment captures students’ attention since many younger – and even older – students tend to gravitate to this type of learning environment. Augmented reality welding is just another way to keep students engaged.
What other areas in industrial programs do you see suffering from budget cutbacks? Does the cost of consumable materials in your industrial program present similar challenges?
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