When William Duncan began teaching welding at Harlem High School in Illinois 14 years ago, the curriculum he inherited was based largely on textbooks. He knew that had to change. Duncan had spent the previous decade manufacturing aircraft control systems; before that, he worked in the automotive industry as a mechanic. In fact, Duncan discovered his love of working on machines by practicing with his own father at a young age. He understood the value of hands-on learning, and he began his teaching career determined to provide more interactive learning opportunities for his students.
“This is a hands-on class, so that’s how I’ve set it up – minimal bookwork and a lot of handson because I think that’s the best way to teach this program,” said Duncan. “Kids these days are geared that way. If I can take the years of what I’ve been doing and bring it to life, that’s the way to go.”
Duncan, who decided to start teaching after seeking a career change and hearing from “one too many” industry representatives of the need for skilled welders in the field, started making updates to the school’s welding program right away. He brought in machines the school didn’t have. He started using equipment and technology that he knew was in professional fabrication shops.
A decade into his teaching career, Duncan tried a virtual reality welding simulator at a local manufacturing expo. The simulator projected the user’s actions onto a television set up in the exposition center, and Duncan surprised himself by learning a hard lesson.
“All of my bad habits came to light,” said Duncan. “My colleagues were laughing at me. And it was all on the big screen. I knew then that I wanted this technology for my own classroom.”
Duncan returned home and started researching virtual reality welding simulators for education. The Career Education Associates of North Central Illinois (CEANCI), which administers grants to provide state-of-the-art technology and equipment, curriculum and materials to high school Career & Technical Education programs, recommended that he check out Realityworks’ guideWELD® VR welding simulator.
The guideWELD VR welding simulator is widely considered the most cost-effective welding simulator on the market today. It provides immediate feedback on fundamental welding skills – work angle, travel angle, speed, nozzle-to-plate distance, and straightness – on a computer screen using video game-like technology. Each weld is scored based on difficulty level, and data is recorded for future assessment.
“Margie, our CEANCI System Director, told me to take a day off,” Duncan said. “She showed up with other teachers from other schools in the district, brought the welding simulator units and one of our trainers in… and from that point, the beginning of every class, whether it’s stick or MIG process, that’s what we do – we use the guideWELD VR welding simulator first.”
Today, Duncan’s welding classroom and shop features all the 21st Century teaching tools he can get his hands on. He has a 70-inch flatscreen TV mounted in the center of his classroom’s main wall; 30inch flat-screens are mounted on either side. Duncan has connected a guideWELD VR welding simulator to each screen, so the actions of every user are projected onto the TVs for the rest of the class to observe.
“This way, the kids who are waiting aren’t just wasting their time; they’re watching,” said Duncan. “Plus, it turns everything into a competition. Students are poking, prodding and trying to beat their classmates… and they don’t realize it, but they’re also learning.”
In fact, Duncan says his students are more active and excited in class than ever before, thanks to these hands-on training tools.
“When I’m teaching them how to use a cutting torch, I run through the process several times, then have them walk me through it several more times. The students learn the process by teaching me. The same thing happens with the VR units,” said Duncan. “I hear them telling their peers to slow down, watch your arrows, adjust your speed… they’re instructing each other so when they do go out into the shop, they’re watching their travel angles, paying attention to how the weld is supposed to look. They’re participating in the teaching process.”
Duncan uses the simulator in conjunction with Realityworks’ RealCareer™ Weld Defects Kit, a portable set of plastic weld defects and discontinuities, to help his students master basic skills and get a better understanding of what flaws look like. Five years after incorporating these tools, Duncan speaks confidently about their effect on his sophomore, junior and senior students.
“Ever since I’ve gotten the simulators, I’ve seen an improvement in students’ abilities before they go into the shop,” Duncan said. “They have some knowledge of what to feel for, what to expect. And the greater percentage of what I get are beginners – they’ve never touched a welder before. But this helps them create the muscle memory they’ll need in the shop.”
With half his students learning remotely this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Duncan has adjusted the way he uses his welding simulators to ensure safe hands-on practice for everyone. When students are remote, he connects his Chromebook to the classroom television and uses the simulators for demonstration purposes. When students attend class in person, they take turns on simulators that are safely spaced apart. Students who are ready to weld in the shop are assigned a “grab bag” that contain a sanitized set of PPE they use all semester.
“Each student is responsible for their own bag. They wipe and spray everything down at the end of every class,” said Duncan. “We’ve also made other adjustments, like giving each student their own sweatband for inside their helmet and ensuring that everyone wears rubber gloves under their PPE gloves.”
Duncan plans to teach for another decade before he retires. Over the next 10 years, Duncan says he will continue listening to his former colleagues and other area professionals, with whom Duncan communicates regularly about training and skill needs.
“My goal is to put together a program that works for manufacturing in our area, and in other areas as well, “ said Duncan. “I’ve had students hired out to local companies before they have even graduated – hired right out of the classroom. The ones who come back and see me periodically, who have gone into the field, they understand why I use these tools. It makes sense.”
Learning tools used:
guideWELD® VR welding simulator
Use the guideWELD® VR welding simulator to help students explore welding career paths and master welding fundamentals while you save on costly consumables.
RealCareer™ Weld Defects Classroom Kit
Teach welding students how to identify and correct common weld defects with the portable, lightweight RealCareer™ Weld Defects Classroom Kit.