Conference Session

Understanding the Student Experience in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; James M Widmann, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

C and two earned D’s.Subjective feedback was for the most part positive. The interweaved practice seemed to beappreciated by the students, and could potentially be expanded in future offerings. Studentsunderstand that the majority of their assessment, particularly on the final exam, will be based onproblem solving. Perhaps we could attempt to entirely interleave the course, working problems fromthroughout the course syllabus each lesson. Some might even suggest using mastery techniques, orasynchronous online methods so students could practice at their own pace. Using such approachesmight sacrifice the sense of community that was developed in the classroom, and the collaborativeproblem-solving techniques that were appreciated by the majority

Conference Session

Student Self-assessment in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashraf Badir, Florida Gulf Coast University; Ali Irmak Ozdagli, Florida Gulf Coast University; Jiehong Liao, Florida Gulf Coast University; Micheal Abiodun Uduebor, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Wrappersappeared to be useful, encouraging students to think about study habits, source of error, anddifferent ways in which they engage with the course [6].The course is a four-credit course taught in a combined lecture/lab environment with threemeetings a week for a total of five contact hours. It is typically taken by engineering students intheir second year of study, either fall or spring. Although the course has been taught by ninedifferent instructors over the past several years, it is essentially a team-taught course. Theinstructors use the same textbook and syllabus, assign the same homework, collaborate onwriting quizzes and exams, and use common grading rubrics. The course instruction closelyfollows the ExCEEd Teaching Model with the use of

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 3

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mikayla R Hoyle, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Melany Denise Opolz, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Jean-Christophe Raymond-Bertrand, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Nikhil Chandra Admal, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Wayne L Chang, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Thomas Golecki, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Kellie M Halloran, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Callan Luetkemeyer, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Brian Mercer, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Matthew West, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Mariana Kersh, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

surveyed more than 500 students at the start and end of the semester inintroductory statics, dynamics, and solid mechanics courses to evaluate the degree of integrationof an entrepreneurial mindset and compare their identification of real-world applications relativeto applications used in course content. The survey found that students tend to agree less that thecourse stimulated their curiosity compared to the other Cs. Students in dynamics identified 2-4times more real-world applications than students in statics or solid mechanics, but this did notrelate to homework and test applications used. This difference may be related to other aspects ofcourse content that were not evaluated such as online reference pages, lectures, and discussionworksheets

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 3

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Xiaobin Le, Wentworth Institute of Technology; Masoud Olia P.E., Wentworth Institute of Technology; Gloria Guohua Ma, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Model software. Theobjectives were to enhance student learning, apply engineering dynamics principles, andfamiliarize students with simulation tools. We developed four projects aligned with coursetopics: simulating free-flight and dependent motion, analyzing components’ behaviors underloading, investigating work and energy, and simulating the crank-slide mechanism.Students were tasked with creating simulation models and verifying results against theoreticalcalculations. This approach significantly increased engagement and interest in course content,creating an active learning environment. Throughout the implementation, we collected studentfeedback to refine our methods. Initially, we provided online tutorials for 2D Working Model,but many

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yan Tang, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach; Sarah Jane Grigg, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

. Finally, the Conclusion summarizes our findings and discusses their implications for theteaching of complex topics in engineering education.MethodsBackgroundThis study was conducted in two sections of a sophomore-level “ES204 Dynamics” course atEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach campus) taught by the lead author duringthe Fall 2023 semester. The course is a required component for most engineering majors andtypically enrolls approximately 35 students per section. The same instructor also taught the Spring2023 sections, which served as the comparison group, using the same syllabus, textbook, andassessment structure. All instruction was delivered in person. The redesigned instructionalapproach based on the 4C/ID model was