Conference Session

Student Self-assessment in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Jordan Ford, University of Washington; Heather Dillon, University of Washington

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

elements of deliberate practice are: (1) motivation, (2) intentional plan ofpractice, (3) repetition, and (4) timely feedback. We assign homework to provide students withrepetitive, intentionally designed practice opportunities, but ensuring that students receive timely,effective feedback is resource-intensive and does not scale well to large classes. In addition, ourexperience with traditional homework grading suggests that many students do not even viewdetailed feedback when it is provided. One solution to both problems is for students to grade theirown homework assignments.Direct evidence of effectiveness of student-grading for learning is scant, but suggests thatself-grading is more effective than peer-grading for achieving learning objectives

Conference Session

Problem- and Project-based Learning in Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathryn Hasz, Carthage College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

provide a potential use for it.This work-in-progress paper describes the motivation and development process of these labs, aswell as preliminary lab examples and planned assessment.There is substantial discussion in the engineering community about the importance of includingill-structured problems into curriculum within engineering education, as these problems betterrepresent the experiences post-graduation [1]–[7]. However, past work has found that textbookproblems are rarely ill-structured in form and that students may be rarely exposed to ill-structured problems within their engineering curriculum [1], [2], [5]. One area in which ill-structured problems are easier to incorporate are within lab experiences. Student laboratoryexperiences are

Conference Session

Keeping It Real: Real World Examples and Systems Thinking

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Max Magee, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York; Jessica Swenson, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Paper ID #38386Characterizing Student Work while Solving Ill-Defined Statics Problemsin GroupsMax Magee, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Max Magee is an undergraduate research assistant in the Department of Engineering Education at the University at Buffalo. He is majoring in Aerospace Engineering and minoring in Law and Mathematics and set to graduate in May 2023. After graduation, Max plans on seeking employment in the Aerospace field, preferably working with space craft.Dr. Jessica Swenson, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Jessica Swenson is an Assistant Professor at the

Conference Session

Learning Mechanics through Visual and Tactile Modalities

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarira Motaref, University of Connecticut

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

standardized exams [2]. Traditionally, the course has employed standard exams inwhich students answer four textbook-based problem-solving questions within a 60-minutetimeframe. This study aimed to replace one of the traditional midterm exams with an experientialassessment to explore the impact on students' performance and their preference for this formatover the traditional setting. In this experiential assessment, students were tasked with designingand building a built-up beam using foam materials and sewing pins during the exam (60minutes). The objectives of the exam encompassed calculating the loading of a beam from afloor plan, drawing shear force diagram, bending moment diagram, recognizing maximum shearforce and bending moment on the beam

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics: Modes and Methods

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

and faculty housing,equipping the classroom, and planning excursions to local sites in Rome as well as two largerexcursions to Florence and to Venice. This allowed the professor (namely me) to concentrate onthe academics of the program and not which trains to book, how to get museum tickets, arrangebus drivers, or how to arrange for different tour guides. The AIA staff were extremely friendly toboth students and faculty, and provided invaluable insights into individual travel planning, Italianculture, and great local restaurants.RecruitmentEven though we had a potential pool of nearly 1000 students, we only had 14 applicants whenwe tried to run the program in 2021. We attribute this in large part to residual COVID anxiety,plus I was just

Conference Session

Learning Mechanics through Visual and Tactile Modalities

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Davishahl, Whatcom Community College; Alan Zhang, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; John Chen P.E., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Kathryn Mary Rupe, Western Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

teaching.They were still developing their teaching approach as of fall 2023 and adopted most of theprovided curriculum into the early weeks of their intervention section, implementing theprovided worksheets with minimal modifications for the topics that aligned with their courseoutcomes. Work with the models constituted a significant fraction of classroom time for the firstthird of the quarter, implementing four activities in the first three weeks. Instructor A made someadjustments later in the term in response to student feedback regarding the amount of class timedevoted to activities, ultimately implementing two activities (out of three originally planned)over the middle five weeks of the term.Instructor A taught with the models again in winter 2024

Conference Session

Student Self-assessment in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Huihui Qi, University of California, San Diego; Isabella Fiorini, University of California, San Diego; Edward Zhou Yang Yu, University of California, San Diego; Richard Eugene Vallejo Jr, University of California, San Diego; Zongnan Wang, University of California, San Diego; Trevor Keoki Oshiro, University of California, San Diego; Changkai Chen, University of California, San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

literature review as well as manuscript writing and editing. In addition to research, Edward spends his time on campus building rockets at the UCSD chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, where he designs, simulates, and manufactures structural components. Edward plans on pursuing a PhD in a structures-related field, which he hopes to leverage in the development of more cost-effective and useful space vehicles. In his free time, Edward enjoys watching films and picking up a good book.Richard Eugene Vallejo Jr, University of California, San Diego Richard Vallejo is a third-year undergraduate student at UC San Diego majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Controls and Robotics

Conference Session

Will This Be on the Mechanics Test? Concept Inventories and Understanding Exams

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yan Tang, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; Lin Ding, The Ohio State University; Haiyan Bai, University of Central Florida; Richard Catrambone, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

DevelopmentTest design is a process of developing questions or tasks to measure students’ knowledge and skill[1]. A test plan delineates the steps and considerations along with specifications for testadministration and scoring procedures for this process. In this section, we will demonstrate howto develop a test plan by taking validity and reliability into account. To develop a test plan, onemust first consider the intended use of the test scores and the expected interpretations that willarise from them. Subsequently, the test’s content and format are carefully determined to ensurethat the resulting evidence supports the intended interpretations for their respective purposes. Testitems are then created based on the test specifications and are evaluated

Conference Session

Assessing Conceptual Thinking about Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Katherine E. Welsh, United States Air Force Academy; Lorena S. Grundy, Tufts University; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

and deformable bodies course that elected to participateand were currently taking or had completed introductory physics. Students were recruited from asingle instructor across three sections at the United States Air Force Academy and twenty-oneinterviews have been completed and 10 more are planned to be completed in the future.Interviews were conducted in accordance with an approved protocol and attainment of informedconsent.Think Aloud ResultsFor the purposes of this work-in-progress study, we report on the analysis of four studentinterviews of interest; future work will expand this analysis. The selected four students initiallyselected an incorrect answer and after follow-up questions, changed their answer to the correctchoice. Initially

Conference Session

Applications and Computational Tools for Mechanics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Giancaspro, University of Miami; Diana Arboleda, University of Miami; Seulki Jenny Chin, University of Miami; Liping Yang, University of Miami; Walter G Secada, University of Miami

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

conducted the observation during the activity sessions, documenting observations andnoting any unique participant behaviors in field notes. These field notes served as the basis foridentifying patterns and themes. The course instructors also shared their observations madeduring the activities and throughout the planning stages leading up to the class activities.Focus groups were convened to solicit feedback from students who utilized the app during theclassroom activities. The objectives were to (a) gauge the usability and user friendliness of theapp, (b) identify the app's strengths and weaknesses, and (c) identify potential areas ofimprovement. Two weeks after the last class activity using the app, student participants wereinvited to participate

Conference Session

Understanding the Student Experience in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Milad Rezvani Rad, University of Southern Indiana; Julian Ly Davis, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

with ideas and writing essays.”“It is very limited when it is asked to solve advanced math problems, like differential equationsand linear algebra. However, it is very useful to solve coding errors.”“Sometimes it gives the wrong answer and that causes confusion.”“I usually use it proofread my papers and summarize articles.”“Sometimes I use it to reword sentences or choose different vocabulary when I write a report.” Figure 4: Students’ Primary Use of ChatGPT Across Various Purposes.It is important to highlight that this is an ongoing project, and the authors plan to carry outadditional surveys in the future to gain further insight into students’ preferences. Ultimately, todemonstrate ChatGPT's effectiveness in crafting well-written

Conference Session

Assessing Conceptual Thinking about Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Julian Ly Davis, University of Southern Indiana; Amie Baisley, University of Florida; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Phillip Cornwell, United States Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

the problems. With this data wewill also conduct a Discrimination vs. Difficulty analysis to determine question effectiveness [7].Progress Five faculty from across the country have gathered to discuss the creation of this new RBDCI.Each faculty member individually identified topics that should be included in a RBDCI. During bi-weekly meetings the faculty identified a total of 25 topics, which were combined or prioritized to reducethe number to 11 key concepts. The 11 concepts will be used for the question creation phase, where 3-5questions will be created for each concept. Once the questions are created, they will be tested in variousclassrooms. Based on the results from evaluating these questions, we plan to reduce the final number

Conference Session

Understanding the Student Experience in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, United States Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

plan to give the questionnaire multiple times duringthe Spring semester. We also plan to give the faculty members teaching the course aquestionnaire designed for them. This will allow us to determine if the mindset of facultymembers affects the mindsets of their students as shown in previous research [11-12]. Based onthese results we will decide what, if any, intervention to implement in the course.Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarilyreflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force Academy, the Air Force, theDepartment of Defense, or the U.S. Government. Approved for public release, USAFA-DF-2024-383: distribution unlimited.References:[1] Dweck, C.S., “Mindset

Conference Session

Will This Be on the Mechanics Test? Concept Inventories and Understanding Exams

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anna K. T. Howard, North Carolina State University, Raleigh; Azadeh Dashti Cole, North Carolina State University, Raleigh

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Engineering Education, 2023 2023 ASEE Annual ConferenceLocal LimitationsDuring Fall 2022, Statics in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NC State Universitybegan implementing weekly quizzes. Because cheating is also endemic, the team decided that thequestions should use randomly generated inputs.9 Mastery learning with empathy requires givingstudents multiple attempts to show that mastery. Initially the plan had been to create multiplequizzes, deliver them in Moodle (our learning management system on campus), and grade smallsections by hand.NC State University implemented Moodle 4.0 for Fall 2022 on campus. At that time, theCalculated question type which would allow us to code the questions for the students was

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)

were in the Spring 2020 special offering of theclass, which had 35 students; therefore, it is difficult to determine the level of preparation forthese enrolled students. The 2020 Spring quarter offering of the class was of course taughtonline. Because of staffing issues, we have not been able to offer the section since.Course FormatAs mentioned previously, the class was offered in a flipped format, with online video shortlectures and example problems. We utilized undergraduate Learning Assistants (LAs) in eachcourse cohort. The Learning Assistant model consists of three basic principles: the LAs receiveinstruction in pedagogical strategies, they work closely with the instructors to understand andhelp plan course activities, and they help the

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics: Modes and Methods

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, United States Air Force Academy; Matthew Snyder; Michael Anderson, P.E., United States Air Force

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

, that is, not just selected topics as in manyof the previous studies. This study had several objectives: 1. Determine which of the activities in a flipped Dynamics class are most effective, in the students’ opinions, in helping them master the course material. 2. Identify practices that help new instructors who are planning on flipping a Dynamics course, especially those who are planning on using materials developed by somebody else. 3. Identify factors and practices that lead some students to prefer a flipped structure in Dynamics and other students to prefer a traditional structure.Description of the coursesBrief descriptions of how the flipped course has evolved from being in a 100% remoteenvironment to a face-to

Conference Session

Student Self-assessment in Mechanics Courses

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amie Baisley, University of Florida; Chiranjeevi Singh Marutla, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

body regions [10]. The use of sentiment analysiswas performed on psychology students to help categorize their level of reflection [11]. It has beenused to determine how emotions and views affect teacher lesson plans for their elementary studentson new material relating to computer science [12]. In a study done with first year engineeringstudents the emotion of the student reflections was determined using sentiment analysis to findthat gender and race played a role in the emotion of the response recorded [13]. Another exampleincludes student reflections on a mechanical engineering assignment that are scored with sentimentanalysis to determine the overall student feeling on the assignment and guide further courseimprovement [14]. A final example

Conference Session

Learning Mechanics through Visual and Tactile Modalities

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brandon Clumpner, United States Military Academy; Kevin Francis McMullen, United States Military Academy; Elizabeth Bristow, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

planning and resourcing physical hands-on laboratories [24]. Virtual laboratories can beused to demonstrate bending moment, torsion, and transverse shear loading on simple structuresas well as complex aircraft components. However, virtual laboratories lose some of the benefitsrealized from in-person, physical hands-on experiences. Simulations also include perfectexecution and may not capture critical assumptions needed for experimental tests.The research question which this study aimed to answer was “Can training aids be developed tohelp student visualize failure of non-traditional materials under various loading conditions tocompliment laboratory programs?” The study presented in this manuscript investigated thedesign and development of three

Conference Session

Learning Mechanics through Visual and Tactile Modalities

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maxine Fontaine, Stevens Institute of Technology; Chaitanya Krishna Vallabh, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

concepts was achievedand retained. It would be especially interesting to see how students handle 3D problems in thesefollow-on courses, since the Statics course primarily focuses on 2D problems only.Preliminary results from this study have helped to identify common misconceptions, which can beused to inform the development of hands-on activities and physical demonstrations for the course.As mentioned previously, lab activities with a more qualitative focus have been successfullypiloted at Stevens. Based on positive student feedback, plans to develop additional qualitative labsand exercises are underway. Comparisons of different course implementations (with and withoutthe lab activities) can be used to evaluate the efficacy of the labs in helping

Conference Session

Applications and Computational Tools for Mechanics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew R. Sloboda, Bucknell University; Kimberly LeChasseur, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Sarah Wodin-Schwartz P.E., Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

, listening to and participating inclass discussion, group project work, and using the FBD app; among those who did not use theapp, women reported fewer gains in self-efficacy than men after these controls.Implications: Each year, more than 600,000 students enter engineering programs in the UnitedStates. These students plan to master a challenging skill set that requires them to understand howto model and analyze real world problems. Frustrating core course experiences can dissuadestudents from continuing to pursue an engineering degree and subsequent career. These findingsprovide emerging evidence that gamifying learning can be useful for all students taking statics,but particularly for women.Keywords: statics, women, self-efficacy, content mastery

Conference Session

Keeping It Real: Real World Examples and Systems Thinking

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashley J. Earle, York College of Pennsylvania; Stephen N. Kuchnicki, York College of Pennsylvania; Scott F. Kiefer, York College of Pennsylvania; Stephen Andrew Wilkerson, P.E., York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

iteratively “engineer” withoutdoing the prerequisite planning, designing, or calculating that would be necessary in subtractivemanufacturing. It was clear that numerous students were printing, realizing they made amistake, then re-printing. While 3D printing is useful for rapid prototyping, it does not replacerobustness of mechanical design. Moving forward, we felt that this could be addressed byincluding some more direct information on the relative benefits and weakness of additive vs.subtractive manufacturing as well as mandating that certain components be machined insteadof printed.Anecdotally, many students told us that this project was cool and that they were excited towork on it. At our focus group over the summer, we will attempt to gain

Conference Session

Digital Methods in Mechanics: Teaching with Digital Tools

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rick Hill, University of Detroit, Mercy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

choose to hide or show/run when they are ready to check their work. Setting up alive script as an unfilled template can also allow live scripts to be used as homeworkassignments.ConclusionThis work has described the use of the MATLAB Live Editor for the creation of live scripts foruse as virtual activities and laboratories to improve student engagement and learning. Severalexamples were provided and the author’s experience in piloting activities over the past two yearshas been shared. The author plans to continue developing interactive materials for use in theircourses with a further goal to formally assess their impacts on student learning. In addition to thewebsite provided by the author sharing the live script activities they have developed

Conference Session

Assessing Conceptual Thinking about Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amie Baisley, University of Florida; Keith D. Hjelmstad, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

trends. First, it appears that many of the fall semestersstart with a lower average number of correct answers and/or have smaller number of gains thanmany of the spring semesters. An explanation for this could be due to the spring semesters havingthe students that are typically on-track in their curriculum progress. Deformable Solids is typicallyscheduled in the spring semester following Statics in the fall semester for students that arefollowing the 4-year plan for the program. The Statics class in the spring includes both studentswho are behind, usually due to needing a remedial math course, and those who are ahead, usuallythose who come to college with advance placement credit. Also, the fall semester follows a longerbreak (summer) than the

Conference Session

Keeping It Real: Real World Examples and Systems Thinking

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Huihui Qi, University of California, San Diego; Changkai Chen; Richard Eugene Vallejo Jr., University of California, San Diego; Trevor Keoki Oshiro; Edward Zhou Yang Yu, University of California, San Diego; Isabella Fiorini

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

manufacturing for inquiry-based learning activity models and demonstrations. He plans on pursuing a fu- ture career in engineering education at the high school level. Outside of academics, Richard is a lead for Triton Robotics at UC San Diego, helping design and manufacture their competition robots for the annual RoboMaster competition. His hobbies also include spending time with friends, cooking new recipes, and creating artwork using spray paint.Trevor Keoki OshiroEdward Zhou Yang Yu, University of California, San Diego Edward Yu is currently an aerospace engineering undergraduate student interested in structural optimiza- tion of load-bearing structures, particularly in relation to rockets and space-flight

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics: Modes and Methods

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Ioan Feier; Nicholas J. Marco; Danielle Ozment

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

flipping affected student performance on commonly graded exams.  Evaluate student engagement in the flipped class based on self-reported participation in pre-class activities.  Identify why some students preferred a flipped structure and other students preferred a traditional structure.  Identify best practices for new instructors who are planning to teach a flipped class.Description of the courseME220 is one of many STEM “core” courses that all students, both engineering and non-engineering majors, are required to take at USAFA. This core course focuses on statics andmechanics of materials, and it is the first engineering course the students take. In the fallsemester of 2022, a total of 508 students took the course

Conference Session

Digital Methods in Mechanics: Teaching with Digital Tools

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Diana Arboleda, University of Miami; James Giancaspro, P.E., University of Miami; Max Cacchione, University of Miami; Mert Okyay, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

issues encountered, and plans for future work. It is hoped that the readerwill gain a holistic view of the efforts invested to create an AR application for engineeringmechanics education.2. ConceptualizationMotivation and goalsThe authors conceived the idea for this app after they developed a prior AR app aimed at helpingundergraduate engineering students understand the concept of distributed forces acting on auniform beam [14]. In that app, students are given the freedom to (a) manually create a virtualbeam, (b) specify the locations of a pin and roller support, and (c) apply vertical forces usingeither a uniform or triangular distribution. The app draws the Free Body Diagram of the beam,displays the resultant force for each distribution, and

Conference Session

Unique Pedagogies for Mechanics Education

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marguerite Matherne, Northeastern University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

non-traditionalstudents improve their learning and has been adapted into many different teaching contexts. Thebackbone of JiTT involves students completing an online assignment, called a warm-up, basedon an assigned reading. Students have up until a few hours before class starts to complete theassignment. In those few hours before class the instructor reviews student responses and adaptstheir plan for class according to the students’ current knowledge level. This paper describes theimplementation of JiTT in an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Mechanics of Materialscourse, with the goal of using it to help students achieve learning objectives on the lower end ofBloom’s taxonomy before class. Short answer type questions for learning