Engineering game

Students from Bath University are using a computer car-racing game to help them to learn the principles of engineering.

The computer simulation game ’ Racing Academy’ allows first-year engineering students to theoretically design aspects of a racing car, such as the tyres, gearbox and engine, before racing it against a computer-generated car.

The teaching tool has now been analysed by psychologists and engineers at the university to gauge how effective gaming can be as a learning tool in undergraduate education.

Dr Richard Joiner, lecturer in psychology, and Dr Jos Darling, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering, carried out the research with the help of the game’s developers, Lateral Visions and Martin Owen at Futurelab.

Dr Jos Darling said: ’The game has been designed so that the emphasis is on the engineering rather than the driver’s skill.

’We also test their engineering knowledge before and after the game.

’We found that the game not only motivated the students to learn about engineering, but also helped team-building.’