Psychomotor skills are essential in STEM workforce education, enabling learners to transfer theoretical knowledge into practical application and improving job readiness. However, current teaching methods, particularly lab-based group activities, often fail to fully develop these skills, creating gaps between workforce outcomes and industry expectations. To address this challenge, we designed, developed, and evaluated an Intelligent Tutoring Platform (ITP) aimed at enhancing psychomotor skill acquisition in manufacturing and logistics education. The proposed ITP leverages Extended Reality (XR) to provide immersive, adaptive training environment. To systematically design and develop XR enhanced ITP, we propose a structured methodology that integrates the Design Science Research Framework (DSRF) and the Co-Design Process. This methodology ensures the holistic incorporation of psychological principles into skill training during the design process, resulting in a learner-centered, and adaptive system. The proposed platform utilized real-time feedback, step-by-step procedural guidance, and dynamic difficulty adjustments, simulating real-world training scenarios to enhance engagement and skill acquisition. We evaluated the system through two industrial case studies—wood pallet repair and forklift truck driving—using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design. Results show that learners using XR-enhanced ITP demonstrated greater psychomotor skill acquisition, faster response times, stronger science motivation, and improved self-efficacy compared to traditional lab instruction. These findings highlight the potential of XR-driven platforms to bridge the skills gap and better prepare STEM learners for industry roles. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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