Using Virtual Instruments to Teach Surveying Courses: Application and Assessment

This paper presents a feasibility study of using a virtual survey instrument, SimuSurvey, for surveyor training. SimuSurvey was developed for visualizing and simulating surveying scenarios in a computer-generated virtual environment. In this research, we studied the feasibility of introducing the use of SimuSurvey in regular surveyor training courses. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods were used. The quantitative evaluation method included soliciting responses to a questionnaire from 323 students from four departments in three different schools; and testing 205 students with an in-class quiz that followed a 25-min training session on SimuSurvey. The purpose of the questionnaire was to understand the attitudes of students toward using virtual surveying instruments in a training course. The results show that 91% of the students believe that using virtual surveying instruments in training will benefit their learning experience. The results from the in-class quiz indicate that the employment of SimuSurvey can enhance learning outcomes of the students, with approximately two-thirds of participating students being able to answer follow-up questions correctly. The qualitative analysis was obtained from interviewing five experienced instructors of different backgrounds. They were generally optimistic to the idea of including SimuSurvey in regular surveyor training. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 19: 411-420, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.20291