Gaming to improve geotechnical engineering education—and broaden diversity
A new research project at Rowan University’s Center for Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Engineering Systems (CREATES) aims to teach students real-world geotechnical engineering concepts and attract diverse candidates to the field using interactive video games.
Called MERGE (Multiphysics Enriched Mixed Reality for Integrated Geotechnical Education), the project is led by Dr. Cheng Zhu, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Dr. Ying (Gina) Tang, an expert in serious games and professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Dr. Sarah Ferguson, an assistant professor in the College of Education; Dr. Sarah Bauer, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; as well as collaborator Dr. Lei Wang, assistant professor of geotechnical engineering at the University of the District of Columbia, a historically Black college and university. The study is supported by a $299,210 grant from the National Science Foundation.