Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Josh Coffman, University of Arkansas; Joseph Rencis, University of Arkansas; Daniel Jensen, United States Air Force Academy; Christina White, Columbia University; Ashland Brown, University of the Pacific; Jiancheng Liu, University of the Pacific; Kristen Kaufman, University of Texas, Austin

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2010-281: STRUCTURED PROCESS FOR WRITING, REVISING, ANDASSESSING MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUIZZESJosh Coffman, University of Arkansas Josh Coffman is a M.S. student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He has worked as a civil design technician for Crafton, Tull, Sparks, and Associates in Russellville, Arkansas. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Arkansas Tech University in 2006. V-mail: 479-970-7359; E-mail: jacoffma@uark.edu.Joseph Rencis, University of Arkansas Joseph J. Rencis has been professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville since 2004. He has held the inaugural

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alex C. Szatmary, King's College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Paper ID #23336Critical Analysis of the Validity of the Fundamentals of Engineering Mechan-ical ExamDr. Alex C. Szatmary, King’s College Alex Szatmary teaches mechanical engineering in a new program at King’s College, Wilkes-Barre. In his technical research, he uses mathematical models to study how cells get to places in the body. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2018 Critical analysis of the validity of the Fundamentals of Engineering Mechanical ExamAbstractThe purpose of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE) is primarily to ensure that Engineersin

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer II

Collection

2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yeow Siow, University of Illinois, Chicago

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, 2017 Finding COP: A Project to Unify Topics in Fundamentals of Thermodynamics CourseAbstractIn a typical introduction to thermodynamics course, concepts such as the first law, propertyrelations, second law, etc. are usually taught in succession. To aid in further understanding theseconcepts, and to help solidifying the “point” of studying thermodynamics, a high-stake projectthat unifies some of the major topics is necessary. Such a project should be readily relatable toeveryday life, and yet should require a higher-level exploration of meanings.An example of such project has been successfully implemented in a basic thermodynamicscourse for a number of years. The goal is simply to find the coefficient

Conference Session

Why Industry Says that our Engineering Students Cannot Write

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Duncan, Valparaiso University; Mark M. Budnik, Valparaiso University; Jeffrey Will, Valparaiso University; Peter E. Johnson, Valparaiso University; Shahin S. Nudehi, Valparaiso University

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society, Mechanical Engineering

course, itis also critical that students receive individual feedback to assess and improve theircommunication skills. Similar to most Senior Design courses, the VU course emphasizes teamperformance, and it has been determined that team assignments can mask communicationdeficiencies of individual students. This is especially prevalent in the area of technical writing Page 22.1135.4where the faculty advisor may not know the author of each paper section. Therefore, it isimportant to provide communication feedback to both teams and individuals.Multiple techniques are used to improve the consistency of faculty technical communicationfeedback. First

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer I

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arden Moore, Louisiana Tech University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

operatingcycles as a hand crank is turned by the student, thereby allowing them to control how quickly orslowly the model progresses. Based on the discussion in class of the fundamentals of internalcombustion engines and their own observations of the models, students must determine whichmodel is a gas engine and which is a Diesel engine as well as determining if these enginesoperate on two- or four-stroke cycles. The cutaway models were obtained from Eisco.Example Discussion Questions: Which of the two models (labeled A and B) depicts a gasolineengine and which a Diesel engine? How do you know? Is Model A a two-stroke or a four-strokeengine? What about Model B? How do you know? If we model the gasoline engine using theideal Otto cycle operating using air

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer I

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard V. Melnyk, United States Military Academy; William Clarence Pyant III, United States Military Academy; Daisie D. Boettner P.E., United States Military Academy; Daniel Richard Brown

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Paper ID #14593Assessment of Implementing an Undergraduate Integrated Thermal-FluidsCourse Sequence on the Results of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam(FEE)Lt. Col. Richard V. Melnyk, United States Military Academy LTC Rich Melnyk is an Army Aviator and Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy, West Point. He developed and implemented the first course offering of Thermal-Fluid Systems I in 2005. He was an Instructor and Assistant Professor from 2004-2007 and returned to teaching in 2015. He has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, a PE in Mechanical

Conference Session

Machine Design Related

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Dennis O'Connor, California State University, Chico

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Manufacturing (MMEM) at California State University Chico in 2015 as an Assistant Professor. Dr O’Connor teaches a myriad of courses including: Dynamics, Materials, Thermodynamics, Machine Design, and Vibrations. In addition, he is the faculty advisor to both Chico State Rocketry and SAE Mini Baja student clubs. American c Society for Engineering Education, 2021 Switching Gears in Machine Design; A Focus Toward Technical Writing Skills in Lieu of a Hands-On Semester Design and Fabrication ProjectAbstractIn light of the recent global pandemic, many universities have decidedly transitioned to fullyonline. The obvious consequence being that technical hands-on

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer - I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald Gray, West Virginia University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

the universe. Both the control volume andthe control mass can be of finite or infinitesimal size, but in this paper attention will center on thefinite case. The derivation of equations governing the matter within a finite control volume is Page 13.1401.2most commonly accomplished by transforming the equations governing the control massoccupying the control volume at some instant by using an equation often called the ReynoldsTransport Theorem or simply the transport theorem. This transformation from control mass tocontrol volume is said to be required because the fundamental laws of nature are known initiallyonly for a control mass. This

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas J. Vasko, Central Connecticut State University; Nidal Al-Masoud, Central Connecticut State University; Peter F. Baumann, Central Connecticut State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

“soft skills” upon their graduation, with the former learning outcomes typicallyeasier to evaluate and assess than the latter. This paper presents rubrics and assessment methodsusing engineering courses for evaluating the soft-skills-program learning outcomes engagementin lifelong learning competencies, communication, and the impact of engineering solutions. Theassessment of the lifelong learning student outcome is addressed using results from a set ofsemester-long assignments in a fluid mechanics course. The recently developed and adoptedcourse, Engineering Technical Writing and Presentation, in which students learn to develop aneffective writing process for writing engineering documents in future courses and industry, isused in the assessment

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer I

Collection

2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Natasha Smith P.E., University of Southern Indiana; Brandon S. Field, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Thermodynamics CourseAbstractFundamentals courses play an instrumental role in developing undergraduate students into skilledproblem solvers. As such, these courses bear the responsibility of (1) instilling discipline in prob-lem solving and (2) familiarizing students with central concepts of engineering. The two goals areinextricably linked. Success in problem solving is contingent upon understanding a remarkablyfew fundamental principles. Upon first introduction to new concepts, however, students usuallylack the experience to understand how foundational those principles really are. In fact they can beadept at compartmentalizing information at the expense of building up a foundation of knowledge.While this tactic may present a hope for short term

Conference Session

Outstanding Contributions: Mechanical Engineering Education

Collection

2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bobby G. Crawford, U.S. Military Academy; Daisie D. Boettner, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. Page 22.917.2Description of the Thermal-Fluid Systems CoursesThe lesson content of both 40-lesson courses is shown in Table 1. A review of the first course inthe sequence (ME 311) shows content in the areas of the fundamental properties, the ideal gasequation of state, hydrostatics, conservation principles, cycle analysis, the 2nd Law ofThermodynamics, the Rankine cycle, internal flow, vapor compression refrigeration cycles, andtotal air conditioning. This clearly represents a thorough mix of fluid mechanics andthermodynamics topics that have been traditionally taught in separate courses. The second course(ME312) continues this practice, including exergy, reciprocating internal combustion enginecycles (Otto and Diesel cycles), combustion

Conference Session

Improving Mechanics & Structural Modeling Courses

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Natasha Smith, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

forlaboratories requiring written reports. With a renewed focus on setting a standard forprofessional writing, experiments were crafted with a straightforward technical objective inmind. Then, students were lead to think and write critically through their exploration of thisobjective.This paper presents a beam deflection lab designed primarily for the purpose of introducingprinciples of sound engineering reasoning and establishing standards for professional reporting.The following section provides a procedure for a straightforward four part mechanics laboratoryinvolving beam deflections. The exercises are designed specifically to engage students’engineering reasoning skills and form a standard for effective communication. Each part of theexperiment is

Conference Session

Uses for MATLAB in Mechancial Engineering

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roche de Guzman, Hofstra University; John Carmine Vaccaro, Hofstra University; Alexander Hans Pesch, Hofstra University; Kevin C. Craig, Hofstra University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

ofgenerator action).3.5 f - Writing assignment example Drop a magnet down a copper pipe such as is shown in Figure 9. The magnet “floats” downthe copper pipe defying gravity. There are five fundamental laws of nature demonstrated here.What are they? See Maxwell’s Equations and Newton’s Laws of Motion and Gravity.Communication of complex technical concepts in simple terms is the hallmark of anaccomplished scientist and engineer. Explain what you observe to a lay person in a 250-worddocument. Organization, grammar, and style are just as important as accurate content. Figure 9. Magnet dropping through a copper tube, an example of a motivating experiment for a writing

Conference Session

Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics Instruction

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Foley, U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

diamonds to name but a few. The fundamental concept of the general control volume is that it describes the accumulation, or lack thereof, of our property B. Using, for example, money as the property B of interest we can consider figure 1 as our control volume (e.g. An imaginary federal mint). We will now consider how money gets into and out of the control volume as a means to generate the Reynolds transport equation. Let us imagine that money gets into the building directly by being mailed in and out (Bin and Bout). Money can also be “convected” in by trucks (m) which carry an average amount of coins (b) each. Finally money is spontaneously created

Conference Session

Improving ME instructional laboratories

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Chastain, Clemson University; Harvin Smith, Clemson University; Mason Morehead, Clemson University; David Moline, Clemson University; John Wagner, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

phenomena. Introduction to laboratory safety practices, instrumentation, calibration techniques, data analysis, and report writing. ME 322: Mechanical Engineering Laboratory II. 2(1,3). Mechanical engineering principles and phenomena are reinforced through student conducted experiments. Presentation of fundamentals of instrumentation, calibration techniques, data analysis, and report writing in the context of laboratory experiments. Page 11.1117.2 ME 323: Mechanical Engineering Laboratory III. 2(1,3). Continuation of ME 322. Mechanical engineering principles and phenomena will be reinforced through student conducted experiments

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Technical Session: Feeling the Heat - Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Daniel Raviv, Florida Atlantic University; Daniel Ryan Barb, Florida Atlantic University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Paper ID #29075A Visual and Intuitive Approach to Teaching and Learning the Concept ofThermodynamic EntropyDr. Daniel Raviv, Florida Atlantic University Dr. Raviv is a Professor of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University. In December 2009 he was named Assistant Provost for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. With more than 30 years of combined experience in the high-tech industry, government and academia Dr. Raviv developed fundamentally different approaches to ”out-of-the-box” thinking and a breakthrough methodology known as ”Eight Keys to Innovation.” He has been sharing his

Conference Session

Design Throughout the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Lulay, University of Portland; Heather Dillon, University of Portland; Timothy A. Doughty, University of Portland; Deborah S. Munro, University of Portland; Shazib Z. Vijlee, University of Portland

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

efficiency, renewable energy, and fundamental heat transfer. Before joining the university, Heather Dillon worked for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) as a senior research engineer.Dr. Timothy A Doughty, University of Portland Dr. Timothy A. Doughty received his BS and MS from Washington State University in Mechanical and Materials Engineering and his Ph. D. from Purdue University. He has taught at Purdue, Smith College, and is now an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Portland. From 2009 to 2001 he served as a Faculty Scholar with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories and has served as the Dundon-Berchtold Fellow of Ethics for the Donald. P. Shiley School of Engineering

Conference Session

Engineering Laboratory Experiences

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

André J. Butler, Mercer University; William Moses, Mercer University; Stephen Hill, Mercer University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

help solve problems. Laboratory experiences have practically always been used bymechanical engineering educators to instill those fundamentals in students;1-3 and it is,presumably, in the laboratory that undergraduate students learn to fill in for themselves the gapsbetween theory and practice. However, a common problem in the undergraduate laboratory isill- or under-defined learning objectives, which often lead to deficiencies in studentperformance.4 Such a problem existed in mechanical engineering at the Mercer UniversitySchool of Engineering. The overall goal of this paper is to examine the initial results ofcurriculum changes that were made in mechanical engineering to better align learning objectiveswith student performance.BackgroundThe

Conference Session

Statics and Finite Element Analysis

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sarah C. Baxter, University of St. Thomas; Ann Johnson, University of South Carolina; Bethany S. Fralick, University of South Carolina

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

pedagogical technique in engineering and architecture programs untilthe 1990's when, with the accessibility of desktop computing and relatively inexpensivesoftware, computer-aided drawing began to dominate and manual drafting classes disappearedfrom the engineering curriculum. Visualization and analysis can now be done more quickly andaccurately using CAD programs. In addition, CAD addresses a more diverse range of problems,including those in three-dimensions. As a result, returning to hand drawing in order to solvestatics problems is not a choice anyone would make for efficiency.Visualization skills are thought to be fundamental to spatial thinking, as it is used to representand manipulate information, and as it contributes to the reflective

Conference Session

Statics and Dynamics in Mechanical Engineering

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer E. Holte, University of St. Thomas

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Materials, Dynamics, and Machine Design for the University of St. Thomas, and in 2014 she developed a Math Fundamentals course for the Minnesota Literacy Council which paired immigrant English Language Learners with American-born students struggling with basic math. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2016 Forming Connections between Theory and Real Devices in a General Statics CourseIntroductionMost engineering instructors have witnessed their students’ struggle to connect what they arelearning in their classes to the engineering profession. Comments like “I’ll never use any of thison the job” or “My uncle is an engineer, and he says he’s never once used

Conference Session

Meeting ABET Requirements

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Zhengtao Deng, Alabama A&M University; Cathy Qian, Alabama A&M University; Ruben Rojas-Oviedo, Alabama A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

; Sons, Inc., 8th ed.References: (1). Lecture notes (2). An Album of Fluid Motion, Milton Van Dyke. The Parabolic Press, 1982. (3). Fluid Mechanics, Frank White, 5th Edition, McGraw Hill, 2003.Coordinator: Zhengtao Deng, Associate Professor of MEClass Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 1:00PM-1:50PM, 50 minutes each session. Tuesday 2:00-4:50PM Lab.Prerequisites by Topic: 1. Fundamentals of thermodynamics with applications in open system, one-dimensional isentropic flows. 2. Fundamentals of fluid dynamics and applications to propulsion system. 3. Knowledge of computer programming using FORTRAN, C, MATLAB, or LabView.Objectives: This course is

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer-Part I

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Israel Urieli, Ohio University-Athens

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

and Ottocycle engines. The Stirling cycle machine is becoming more significant for both distributedpower and refrigeration applications1, however it is only briefly covered in the various textbooks.Furthermore, the web resource is based on the assumption that the student can obtain animmediate intuitive understanding and basic evaluation of thermodynamic systems throughvisual graphical means, in which the various processes are sketched on property graphs. Fromthe Fundamentals of Engineering Reference Handbook2 we see that this has been the currentpractice in industry in relation to the use of the pressure-enthalpy diagram for refrigerationsystems, and psychrometric charts for air-conditioning systems, however it is sadly lacking insteam power

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Division Technical Session 4

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Allison Cutler, Northern Arizona University; Perry Wood P.E., Northern Arizona University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

’ ability tounderstand tolerancing theory and implement tolerances into engineering drawings. Students areintroduced to parametric modeling and the ASME Y14.5-1994 dimension and tolerance standardin upper division classes of the college curriculum. Tolerancing concepts are applied in lowerdivision classes of the engineering curriculum without the students having a basic understandingof the fundamentals. It is important for students to have a fundamental understanding oftolerances before proceeding to advance courses. The goal of this project is to evaluate astudent’s ability to properly tolerance using Clearance, Transition, and Interference Fits throughdesigning an assembly to be rapid prototyped, where they then can physically perceive the

Conference Session

New Teaching Pedagogies: Methods and Assessments

Collection

2015 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Mott, California Polytechnic State University; Steffen Peuker, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

courses include twofundamental courses–Thermodynamics I and Heat Transfer–and two technical electives–Fundamentals of HVAC Systems, and Introduction to Refrigeration Principles.To assess the success of using Team-Based Learning, the Team-Based Learning StudentAssessment Instrument (TBL-SAI), was administered at the end of each course7. The TBL-SAIhas 33 questions, asked on a five level agree/disagree Likert scale, and is validated to measure(1) student accountability, (2) TBL vs. lecture preference, and (3) student satisfaction7,8. Student Page 26.1686.4comments and faculty observations are used to qualitatively evaluate the success of the

Conference Session

Student Learning and Assessment

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andre Butler, Mercer University; William Moses, Mercer University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

objectivesspecifically directed at each sub-task. What does emerge anecdotally from this assessmentscheme when evaluated by the laboratory course instructors is a common sense that most of thedeficiencies noted lie in the poor quality of the written report rather than in the overt omission ofexpected outcomes. Generally speaking, in designing an experiment, most student groups areobserved to identify applicable theory, operate relative to a reasonable problem statement they Page 14.52.5have defined, evaluate a range of variables, appropriately define a repeatable and effectiveprocedure, etc., but they seem to be unable to consistently write a technical

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Technical Session: Mechatronics & Simulation

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Lan He, Beihang University; Jingjun Yu, Beihang University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

incentive to learn targeted professional skills to become a successful engineer. ⚫ Integration: a suitable project should allow students to integrate knowledge from multiple courses and develop their teamwork spirt, hands-on experience, and multi- module integration abilities.According to requirements above and actual situation, it is proper to choose the “handwritingrobot” as a mechatronic project for emphasizing real-world connections and implication. Themain reasons are listed below: ⚫ Attractive enough and moderately difficult. The machine that can write is both intuitionistic and interesting for those undergraduate students who are new to mechanical engineering. It is a good way that can fit the philosophy of

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ping Ren, Virginia Tech; Janis Terpenny, Virginia Tech; Dennis Hong; Richard Goff, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Page 14.291.5 focus of instruction, some courses may require fundamental knowledge on probability, dynamics, optimization, control etc. In order to verify the theories in robotics science or conduct tests on actual hardware, most courses require students to be competent in programming. Students must understand at least one technical programming language, such as C/C++ or a numerical computing language such as Matlab, Mathematica and so on.4. Textbooks: There is no unified robotics course syllabus; correspondingly, the unified textbook does not exist either. Depending on the coverage of material, instructors usually choose one book as the textbook to teach the fundamentals and use suggested reference books or the

Conference Session

Meeting ABET Requirements

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Van Treuren, Baylor University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. Students areexposed to collecting data and writing lab reports, but at this level, they do not do traditionalerror analysis. In the current curriculum, detailed laboratory measurements and error analysisare accomplished in the spring of the senior year when students are scheduled to take ME Lab.While the materials lab is the culmination of the materials stem in the mechanical engineeringcurriculum, ME Lab is the culmination of the fluids/thermodynamics/heat transfer track. It isalso considered the capstone course in experimental design and measurement. ME Lab figuresprominently in the following ABET Criterion 3 outcomes1: b. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data g. an ability to communicate

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Trends and Tools

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Timothy A. Doughty, University of Portland; Steven O'Halloran, University of Portland

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

careers. The results of this study prove useful in designing an effectivecross-curricular approach to the topic and in tutorial development.IntroductionPlug and play data acquisition has made experiment design and analysis much more accessible toundergraduate students. Where in the past typical lab experiences involved pre-establishedinstrumentation and cookbook exercises, a wealth of software demonstrations and librariescouple with flexible and easy-to-use hardware to allow for a relatively straightforwardintroduction to the fundamentals of the craft of taking meaningful data. As a result, the numberof publications regarding implementation in case-specific applications is staggering. See, forexample, McDonald1, Zhang et al.2, Lohani et al.3, and

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Technical Session: Dynamics I

Collection

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Andrew R. Sloboda, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

complicated moving from two dimensions to three dimensions (e.g.moment of inertia) while others become both more complicated and less intuitive (e.g. angularmomentum). As the number of interacting bodies grows, this is only further exacerbated.One of the fundamental skills necessary to navigate this increasing complexity is the ability tocorrectly express quantities in different reference frames. However, students often find themathematics for translating between different frames to be dry and abstract, particularly ifintroduced early in a course. Thus, they may not gain the understanding of concepts, such asrotation transformation matrices, Euler angles, or quaternions, that they need for later success.In order to address this problem, a five-week