Abstract & Overview
People working in the chemical industry require specific skills to deal with hazardous environments and to operate complicated machinery which often requires on site training. The importance of designing systems and environments with safe possible ways to train operators is essential for the chemical industries. Virtual reality offers the potential to train personnel in a safe highly visual and interactive manner.\n\nVirtual Learning Environments(VLE) represent an entirely new form of educational technology. Virtual learning environments support similar forms of learning to ‘real’ ones but are not a physical space, like a classroom or lecture theatre, and learning may work closely together while not being active at the same time. Virtual learning environment can be used to enhance traditional instruction, which will as a result enhance a student’s achievement. Virtual environment can be used to enhance traditional instruction, which will as a result enhance a student’s achievements. Virtual environments lead to a greater depth of learning and engagement for many students. Virtual learning environments are keeping with the spirit of constructivism where teachers and students are active participants of knowledge formation not just the recipients of knowledge. The aim of the work presented in this thesis was to establish if constructivist education of chemical engineering safety practices was achievable using VLE.\n\nA VLE was created based on an undergraduate laboratory experiment for the chemical engineering degree at The University of Nottingham. The VLE focused primarily on safety and hazard awareness issues of students performing the experiment. The VLE was created principally for the first year chemical engineering students and first time chemical engineering laboratory visitors. The effectiveness of this VLE was tested with positive results for the group for which it was designed.