Ray tracing is a computer graphics technique used to produce realistic visuals by physically simulating the behavior of light. Although this technique can be described straightforwardly, fully comprehending it might be challenging. It is typically taught in the classroom using the 2-D formats, such as paper or a blackboard. We propose using…

Over several years, first-year pre-service education students regularly experienced difficulty with engineering graphics activities. Research has already established that these activities require the use of well-developed spatial visualisation which is, for the most part, determined by a persons' spatial experience. The importance of this study…

It is well known that mechanical engineering students often find mechanics a difficult area to grasp. This article describes a system of equations describing the motion of a balanced and an unbalanced roller constrained by a pivot arm. A wide range of dynamics can be simulated with the model. The equations of motion are embedded in a graphical…

Social networks and collaboration make it possible to offer new metacognitive horizons for comprehension of theories in a group of students considered digitally native. This study discusses the applicability of different forms of visualisation used as a constructivist learning technique on social networks. It presents the results of an innovative…

The higher education system of the Republic of Kazakhstan emphasizes the need for the development of institutional science, including the field of information technology, with a priority on fundamental research. Professional training of future computer science teachers requires them to know the range of tasks related to computer graphics, and the…

The impact of spatial visualization ability on student outcomes in a freshman-level, 3D modeling class is explored by analyzing connections between students' spatial ability pre- and post-test scores, course grades, and self-reported difficulty of an assignment. Analysis of the results indicate that spatial visualization ability, as measured by…

In this ever more digital and visual world, it has become more vital that students are encouraged to create content during the learning process through effective visualization of their knowledge. Infographics are an effective method for such visualization. The current study therefore proposes an infographic design rubric (IDR) as a criteria-based…

Thermodynamic processes are complex phenomena that can be understood as a set of successive stages. When treating processes, classical thermodynamics (and most particularly, the Gibbsian formulation, predominantly used in chemistry) only pays attention to initial and final states. However, reintroducing the notion of process is absolutely…

This paper explains the design of a graphics-based virtual environment for instructing computer hardware concepts to students, especially those at the beginner level. Photorealistic visualizations and simulations are designed and programmed with interactive features allowing students to practice, explore, and test themselves on computer hardware…

In our three-dimensional world, one can plot, see, and comprehend a function of two variables at most, V(x,y). One cannot plot a function of three or more variables. For this reason, visualization of the potential energy function in its full dimensionality is impossible even for the smallest polyatomic molecules, such as triatomics. This creates…

An upper-division undergraduate laboratory experiment is described that explores the structure/function relationship of protein domains, namely leucine zippers, through a molecular graphics computer program and physical models fabricated by 3D printing. By generating solvent accessible surfaces and color-coding hydrophobic, basic, and acidic amino…

The increasing popularity of R is leading to an increase in its use in undergraduate courses at universities (R Development Core Team 2008). One of the strengths of R is the flexible graphics provided in its "base" package. However, students often run up against its limitations, or they find the amount of effort to create an interesting plot may…

Modern education technologies are destined to reflect the realities of a modern digital age. The juxtaposition of real and synthetic (computer-generated) worlds as well as a greater emphasis on visual dimension are especially important characteristics that have to be taken into account in learning and teaching. We describe the ways in which an…

Information systems increasingly provide options for visually inspecting data during the process of information discovery and exploration. Little research has dealt so far with user interactions with these systems, and specifically with the effects of characteristics of the displayed data and the user on performance with such systems. The study…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the use of solid modeling software increases participants' success in solving a specified technical problem and how visualization affects their ability to solve a technical problem. Specifically, the study sought to determine if (a) students' visualization skills affect their problem…