A VR-based practice cultivation mode for mechanical engineering graduates to enhance complex engineering abilities

This study proposes a virtual reality (VR)-based teaching platform for engineering graduate students specializing in heavy equipment. It addresses the challenges of separating theoretical teaching from practical applications and ensures safe practices. The platform facilitates six key processes: VR teaching, VR practice, prototype production, VR monitoring and development, theoretical model establishment, and industrial applications. This approach enables students to become familiar with various processes, including teaching, practical experience, and scientific research applications. A production-study-research-use framework is used to improve the quality of graduate student education and enhance collaboration between educators, students, and enterprises in completing engineering and research projects. Long-term observations demonstrate significant enhancements in the graduate students’ practical abilities, basic skills, and multidisciplinary design. Moreover, the platform effectively addresses key challenges in intelligent coal mining, providing a solution to the separation of teaching, practice, and scientific research, surpassing traditional teaching methods.