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Teaching and Learning Center

Omar Al-Shebeeb, Engaged Teaching Scholar

West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

Omar Al-Shebeeb is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Statler College, where he teaches Industrial and Management Systems Engineering. His areas of research interest are in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) and design efficiency, design thinking, productivity improvement, advanced manufacturing and technologies, subtractive and additive manufacturing, quality control, manufacturing facilities design and material handling, and CAD/CAM/CIM/CIE systems and applications.  

Scholarly Teaching Project

Low-Cost Virtual Learning and Production Labs
Virtual Makerspace Tools

A two-part workshop, hosted during the fall 2025 semester, introduced faculty and instructors to practical tools and methods for building a virtual makerspace to complement classroom learning and physical labs. The sessions drew on Al-Shebeeb's work, “Collaborative Makerspace-to-Classroom and Manufacturing Integration: Low-Cost Virtual Learning and Production Labs,” which integrates accessible simulation and design tools to enrich modern manufacturing education. 

This scholarly teaching project will result in a forthcoming toolkit of recommended and vetted virtual makerspace tools. Through this project, Al-Shebeeb shares the benefits of teaching with virtual makerspace and simulation tools, positive impact on student engagement and learning, and how to overcome common challenges instructors may encounter when teaching with such tools.