Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shuh-Jing Ying P.E., University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Advanced Dynamics has a limited distribution. So, theideas expounded below may seem innovative and new, yet they are not. The purpose of thispaper is to demonstrate the use of rotation operators to solve this problem and to inspire readersto create other innovative solutions. This is the educational purpose of this paper. Since thissolution is based on rotation operators, and rotation operators are often overlooked in dynamics,let us begin with a brief historical overview of rotation operator. Then, I will start from thedefinition of rotation operator, provide examples of operations, and then verify the solutions. Rotation operator was first introduced by J. W. Gibbs in 1901 as mentioned in Ying’sAdvanced Dynamics [1]. A search of the

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bidhan C. Roy, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

activities undertaken by the student.Unfortunately, in recent years, extensive use of solution manuals and replication of answers fromthe solution manual without any understanding has been a major hurdle in the learning process ofthe students. Blind faith in the solution manual rather their own abilities to solve problemsnegatively impacts a student’s conceptual understanding of the principles of Dynamics andtherefore impedes their critical thinking ability. This is a nationwide phenomenon [1], [2], [3]and some important reasons has been traced to – (a) students who are employed outside schoolfind less time in their studies, (b) lack of mathematical and analytical skills discourages studentsfrom trying on their own, and (c) instant gratification of

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yan Tang, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ., Daytona Beach

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

graphical representation of the right-hand side of Newton’s secondlaw of motion. It is often used together with a free-body diagram (FBD) to represent therelationship between the external forces on a body and the body’s inertial response [1-4] (seeFigure 1). Figure 1FBD and KD [1]As elaborated in [5], from the perspective of solving kinetics problems, it is not necessary to use aKD. However, we need to examine pedagogical benefits from students’ learning perspective. Justlike we cannot underestimate the role of a user manual for beginning users because of itsredundancy for experienced users, we need to revisit the role of the kinetic diagram in the teachingof introductory dynamics. In this paper, I will

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeffrey C. Hayen, Oregon Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

body (i.e., a set of rigid elements which are rigidly joined together).Two illustrative examples are considered in this article to both introduce and apply the methodadvocated. These examples will reveal the advantage of moment evaluation about a point that isdifferent from the mass center of the body. When the method is properly applied, the associatedeffort is typically less involved than is experienced in the traditional practices because locatingthe position and assessing the motion of the mass center is often challenging in many problems.Some alternative forms of the moments-of-forces/couples equation for the rotational dynamics ofa rigid body, which is frequently called Euler’s equation in the literature, may be found in [1–3].The author

Conference Session

Mechanics Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Constans, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology; Karl Dyer, Rowan University; Shraddha Sangelkar, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

present day. Here position analysis is taken to mean 1)finding the two remaining unknown angles on the linkage with an input angle given and 2)finding the path of a point on the linkage once all angles are known. The efficiency of positionanalysis has taken on increasing importance in recent years with the widespread use of pathoptimization software for robotic and mechanism design applications.Kinematicians have developed a variety of methods for conducting position analysis, but thesolutions presented in the literature fall into two general families: 1. The angle between the coupler and the rocker is found using the law of cosines. Once this is known, the coupler and rocker angles are found using some combination of the laws of

Conference Session

MASS: Mastery, Assessment and Success of Students

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Brad Gregory Davis, United States Military Academy; Kevin Francis McMullen, United States Military Academy; J. Adam Pegues, United States Military Academy at West Point

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

engineering (FE) exam. Thestudy presented in this paper details the approach taken to replace in-class quizzes with regularout-of-class homework assignments in an introductory engineering mechanics course. Theobjectives of the study were to: 1) provide students with a variety of problems to apply both newand previous knowledge; 2) encourage engagement with the course material outside of in-personlessons; and 3) teach students to reflect and self-assess their own learning. Eighteen homeworkassignments were added throughout the thirty-lesson course. Each assignment consisted of twoparts; practice problems from previous lessons and conceptual responses based on preparation forthe next lesson. At the beginning of each class, students were given the

Conference Session

Building Success in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Anu Osta, Rowan University; Jennifer Kadlowec, Baldwin Wallace University; Melanie Amadoro, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

-person to Online Remote transition of an Engineering Statics courseContinuing education amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most dauntingexperiences for most students. As the virus continued to spread across the country, various school districtsand localities faced mounting pressures to close school facilities. College students were asked to leavecampus and finish the semester remotely, placing them in an unfamiliar learning situation. When severalcampuses reopened in the fall 2020, outbreaks raced through dorms and infected thousands of studentsand employees. More than 120,000 cases have been linked to American colleges and universities sinceJanuary 1, 2021, and more than 530,000 cases have been reported since the

Conference Session

The ABCs of FBDs

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

identify what someone needs to know in order to solve problems or carry out tasks in a domain and then to use the results of the task analysis to guide the construction of teaching and training materi- als/environments. Catrambone has served on the Cognitive Science Society governing board from 2011-2016 and was chair of the Society in 2015. He was co-chair of the Cognitive Science Conference in 2010. He has served as a consulting editor for the Journal of Educational Psychology (1/2008 - 12/2011), the Journal of Experimen- tal Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition (6/2000 - 12/2001 and 1/2009 - 12/2009), the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied (1/2001 - 12/2007), and the Journal of Experimental Psychology

Conference Session

Using Technology to Support Learning in Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Yonghee Lee, Purdue University at West Lafayette ; Jennifer Deboer, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Jeffrey F. Rhoads, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE); Edward J. Berger, Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

examples, change models and evidence-based teaching practices in engineering curricula, and the role of non-cognitive and affective factors in student academic outcomes and overall success. American c Society for Engineering Education, 2021 Affordance of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning in a Dynamics CourseIntroductionLecture is still a dominant instruction approach in undergraduate science, technology,engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms [1]. However, STEM education communitieshave called for instructional reform to shift how we teach STEM subjects from transferringknowledge to students to engaging students actively in

Conference Session

Bringing a Different Perspective

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Josué Njock Libii, Purdue University Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

tolearning or not. Indeed, the importance and the amount of homework that students should beassigned have been debated for more than 100 years [1].Whether assigning, collecting, and grading homework enhances learning or not remainscontroversial to this day. Results of many studies disagree [2] - [13], [14] - [16]. It is argued inthe literature that these disagreements arise because the methodologies used are very, verydisparate; that students cannot be treated as objects that are identical; that, indeed, theirindividual characteristics, beliefs, motivations, psychological predispositions to learning varywidely; and that the academic traditions and standards of the schools that students came fromvary a lot as well. The literature on this subject is

Conference Session

MASS: Mastery, Assessment and Success of Students

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Jenna Landy, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; James M. Widmann, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; John Chen, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Michelle Kerfs, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

western public university and has been used to track students’development as they progress through their academic careers. The 14 different constructs that areexplored are big-five personality [1, 2], grit [3], identity [4-6], mindset [7], motivation [8,9],gratitude [10], mindfulness [11], belongingness [12], test anxiety [13], time and studyenvironment [13], perceptions of faculty caring [12], self-control [14], student life stress [15],and meaning and purpose [16]. A short description of each of these, as well as how we chose andvalidated these constructs, can be found in our earlier work [17,18].MethodsData CollectionThe study was approved by our institutional review board and informed consent was obtainedfrom each student. For the current

Conference Session

The ABCs of FBDs

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Sheryl A. Sorby, University of Cincinnati; Sylvie Vieau; So Yoon Yoon, University of Cincinnati

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

spatial thinking; others did not. Results fromthis Work-In-Progress study will be used to conduct an in-depth study examining the relationshipbetween spatial skills and solving problems in engineering mechanics. This paper outlines keyfindings from this Work-In-Progress study and makes recommendations for future work in thisarea.IntroductionSpatial visualization is defined as “process of apprehending, encoding, and mentally manipulatingthree-dimensional spatial forms” [1]. Spatial cognition has been widely studied throughoutpsychology and education for more than 100 years [2-4]. Engineering students and engineeringprofessionals exhibit some of the highest levels of spatial skills compared to their counterparts inother majors/careers [5-6

Conference Session

Building Success in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Reihaneh Jamshidi, University of Hartford; Eoin A. King, NUI Galway

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

classes were held through live videoconferencing environments (Synchronous), and some others were taught by recorded materials(Asynchronous). In this study, we present survey results on students’ perception of the transitionto online learning. Surveys were conducted on two synchronous and two asynchronousengineering courses. The survey's goal was to allow students to share their challenges and overallexperiences of the transition. Another goal of the survey was to ask students’ opinions on howcertain features of the online classes impacted their learning. The specified features for thesynchronous lectures were: (1) live discussions, questions, and answers; (2) connecting with theclass on a regular basis; (3) receiving lessons at certain times of

Conference Session

Using Technology to Support Learning in Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Anna K. T. Howard, North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Philosophical Questions, 14 Practical Questions, and 1 Unforeseen Difficulty Anna K. T. Howard NC State UniversityAbstractEducation is increasingly taking a page from video games to provide students with small rewardsand visual guides to their progress. During fall 2019 and spring 2020, a team of NC StateUniversity instructional designers, multi-media experts, and the instructor redesigned the webcontent for Engineering Statics to include badges, completion bars, and a visual representation ofprogress. This paper addresses the series of philosophical and practical questions which the teamhad to address during the course redesign. Initial student feedback to the new design

Conference Session

Hands-On in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Sarah Wodin-Schwartz P.E., Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kimberly Lechasseur, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Caitlin A Keller, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

activities, provides students with opportunities to developskills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork [1] [2]. Incorporating hands-onlearning into the classroom environment involves several challenges including the design of theactivities, building and setup of equipment, and reallocation of limited contact hours. Whilechallenges exist for in-class hands-on learning, further hurdles, such as access to materials andactivity scaffolding, are presented when adapting hands-on learning for remote course delivery.This paper describes the process of designing a series of remote hands-on activities, called Handson Learning Days (HOLD), for an Introduction to Statics course based on materials that studentshave in their residences

Conference Session

Using Technology to Support Learning in Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Ning Fang, Utah State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

mustdemonstrate that students have “an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineeringproblems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics” [1].The importance of mathematics is no exception in engineering dynamics, a sophomore-yearfoundational undergraduate engineering course. This course is often required in manyundergraduate engineering programs, such as mechanical, aerospace, civil, environmental,mechanics, biological, and biomedical engineering programs. This course covers numerouslearning topics in Newtonian mechanics, such as Newton’s second law, the principle of work andenergy, the principle of conservation of energy, the principle of linear/angular impulse andmomentum, and the principle of conservation of linear

Conference Session

Engaging the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, United States Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

as gradingthe completed homework assignment, concept questions, and breakout rooms to work on thenext homework assignment. Assessment data on students’ perceptions of the class and whichactivities were most beneficial in the flipped, remote environment will also be presented.IntroductionIn spite of the prevalence of faculty members using a flipped classroom, there is a lack ofconsensus on what exactly constitutes a flipped (or inverted) classroom [1]. One definition of aflipped class is provided by Lage et. al. [2]: “Inverting the classroom means that events that havetraditionally taken place inside the classroom now take place outside the classroom and viceversa.” For the purposes of this paper, I am defining a flipped classroom as one

Conference Session

The ABCs of FBDs

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Matthew Runyon, Texas A&M University; Vimal Viswanathan, San Jose State University; Kimberly Grau Talley P.E., Texas State University; Tracy Anne Hammond, Texas A&M University; Julie S. Linsey, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

problem-solving in many fields of engineering. Thesediagrams are critical in Mechanics and related topics. They are often taught to students in the firstphysics or statics courses due to the prevalence of free body diagrams in engineering problem-solving. Two popular statics textbooks [1], [2] introduce free body diagrams in early chapters justafter explaining vectors and fundamental laws of physics. Rosengrant et al. showed that studentswill use free-body diagrams even when they do not receive credit for drawing them and thatstudents who can correctly draw diagrams are more successful in solving problems correctly [3].Furthermore, Sweller showed that using the visual aid of a free body diagram helps reduce theproblem's cognitive load and

Conference Session

MASS: Mastery, Assessment and Success of Students

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Christopher Papadopoulos, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Aidsa I. Santiago-Roman, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Edward Fritz Hillman, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Gerald Luciano Figueroa, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus; Isamarie Vega Morales, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

the same question. These cycles can occur within a few minutes to over a couple of days, depending on how the ConcepTests are delivered.Results from both types of cycles imply that the rate of demonstrated learning is quite low incomparison to the time allocated for a typical course. For example, the pass rate for a MasteryTest is typically below 20%, implying that a typical student would require 5 attempts to pass thetopic. With ConcepTests, typically fewer than 1/3 of the students who initially answerincorrectly change to the correct answer by the time of the final poll. Yet within these apparentlydismal statistics appear promising marks of student progress, but at a rate that is markedly slowerthan what the academic calendar

Conference Session

MASS: Mastery, Assessment and Success of Students

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Liza Boyle, Humboldt State University; Jason Patrick Marcus Reid, Humboldt State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Thermodynamics) and Spring 2020 (Dynamics only).T-tests showed that for all subgroups of students attending study sessions improved homeworkgrades. Additionally, a linear regression analysis was used to model the relationship betweenstudents’ exam improvement (between Exam 1 and Exam 2, and between Exam 2 and Exam 3)and their difference in study session attendance before each of the included exams. The analysisshowed that students who attended study sessions were positively affected overall, with each 20%increase in study session attendance (typically one study session) increasing grades by 2-3% (p=8.35E-4). One subset of students showed a negative correlation with attending study sessions:Hispanics who did not receive Pell-grants (p=0.972) but this

Conference Session

MASS: Mastery, Assessment and Success of Students

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

portfolio for each course can be collected and presented, and what it implies about studentsuccess in learning mechanics. We associate the mastery portfolio with final course grades to illustrateand quantify what a typical portfolio looks like for students in these courses.IntroductionThe use of mastery-based learning or competency-based learning has drawn recent interest in engineeringeducation. Those who have implemented it have reported student learning gains, a better ability to reachdiverse student populations, and more productive conversations with students about grades [1-7]. Theliterature has a wide range of definitions of what constitutes mastery-based learning. Implementationstrategies also vary, from using it to assess basic skills to

Conference Session

Hands-On in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Eric Davishahl, Whatcom Community College; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Matthew Parsons Fuentes, Everett Community College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

for face-to-face courses that used the modelsfrom which the take home kit was adapted. Our main conclusion is that implementation matters.Doing hands-on learning in an online course requires some fundamental rethinking about howthe learning is structured and scaffolded.IntroductionEngineering instructors frequently employ physical manipulatives and models to help studentsvisualize systems and demonstrate mechanics concepts. Additional benefits are possible throughhands-on learning when individual students or small teams of students can engage with conceptsat their own pace and focus on their specific points of confusion [1-7]. Online learningmodalities require new approaches to promote spatial visualization and kinesthetic learning.Potential

Conference Session

Using Technology to Support Learning in Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

freshman year. In most curricula, computing is then systematicallyignored for the remainder of the program, resulting in graduates who are weak in computational science.In many institutions, ours included, the freshman computer science course fell victim to cuts caused bypressure to reduce the number of total hours in the curriculum. These outcomes stand at odds with thefeedback from industry that students need more computational knowledge upon graduation [1].There is room for debate as to which computational environment is best for students to learn and whatshould be the nature of computational knowledge taught. The answers vary across disciplines anduniversities, yet faculty generally agree that students need more education in how to use

Conference Session

Bringing a Different Perspective

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Agnes Germaine d'Entremont P.Eng., University of British Columbia, Vancouver; Andrea S. Webb, The University of British Columbia; Sean Maw P.Eng., University of Saskatchewan; Jennifer Kirkey, Douglas College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

: Evaluating Approaches to Problem DevelopmentIntroduction: Inter-institutional collaboration in higher education contextsUniversity students around the world face significant challenges in affording learning materials,including textbooks and ancillary resources such as online homework systems. Recent researchindicates that commercial homework systems can cost students $52-$105 CAD per course [1].Since homework problems are central to learning many core engineering science topics, such asclassical mechanics, there is a substantial opportunity to reduce student costs and makeengineering degrees more accessible. Additionally, open educational resources (OER) allowinstructors to customize problems to suit their courses or pedagogical goals. For example

Conference Session

Bringing a Different Perspective

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Eli Broemer, Michigan State University; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

during exams and the responsiveness of Chegg’shonor code team. It discusses the effectiveness of Chegg’s user account data in pursuingacademic integrity cases. Information is also provided on the question response times for Cheggtutors in answering exam questions and the actual efficacy of cheating in this fashion.IntroductionAcademic dishonesty at universities is nothing new. In fact, cheating on exams is both old andfrequent. In his 1964 book, “Student Dishonesty and its Control in College” William Bowerscites a survey of 11,262 students that asked them about their involvement in cheating. At least16% of the survey respondents admitted to copying from someone else’s exam at some point incollege [1]. While the literature explores the

Conference Session

Hands-On in the Online Classroom

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Md Rashedul Hasan Sarker, University of Indianapolis; Najmus Saqib, University of Indianapolis; George D. Ricco, University of Indianapolis; Megan Hammond, University of Indianapolis; Alexander Quinn Ruble, University of Indianapolis; Bill Faton, University of Indianapolis; James T. Emery II, University of Indianapolis; Kenneth Reid, University of Indianapolis

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

laboratory styleexperiments at home using these kits will provide a valuable hands-on learning experience.Introduction:Originally, the main thrust for this work lied in the fundamental assumption that hands onexperiences universally lead to greater student outcomes in introductory mechanical engineeringcourses [1]. We operated under parameters set forth by Benson [2], Dollár [3, 4], and others thateven under the best of circumstances, online curriculum are usually a substitute or at least a mildpanacea for in-person, kinesthetic activities [5]. Of major importance to many of these works isthe persistence of the dreaded if students simply engaged in more “real engineering” thoughtmonster that arises as a panacea any time the community embarks upon a

Conference Session

The 'Strengths' of Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Stephen N. Kuchnicki, York College of Pennsylvania; Tristan M. Ericson, York College of Pennsylvania

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

have been too easy. Over 80% ofthe questions were found to have discrimination index values over 0.2, meaning that the questionswere able to differentiate between students performing well and students who performed poorly.This instrument seems to provide a foundation for future improvements.IntroductionConcept inventories are common tools used in several disciplines. These instruments are useful todetermine student understanding of basic concepts within a course and to supplement morecommon course-level metrics such as numerical problem-solving. The utility of these instrumentsis noted across various disciplines. For example, concept inventories have been established forstatistics [1] and calculus [2] concepts. Additionally, concept

Conference Session

The ABCs of FBDs

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Eric Davishahl, Whatcom Community College; Todd Haskell; Lee Singleton, Whatcom Community College; Matthew Parsons Fuentes

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

is likelyhighly dependent on the foundation they have brought to the course. More general academicskills and attributes such as motivation, self-regulation, self-efficacy, sense of belonging andmindset also influence how students engage with the course.Existing research demonstrates the importance of math and physics preparation to studentsuccess in mechanics [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]. Problem solving skill is also clearly an importantcomponent to success [5]. The correlation of spatial abilities to broader measures of success andretention for engineering majors in general is well-established [6]. However, existing studiesexploring the importance of spatial abilities to success in mechanics courses find mixed results.Many fundamental concepts

Conference Session

Bringing a Different Perspective

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Andrew R. Sloboda, Bucknell University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

principles undergird the course. This problem in thedynamics curriculum has been recognized for some time, as Ellis and Turner [1] considered theuse of concept maps as a remedy to this problem as early as 2003.However, the content of dynamics is not the only thing that can cause students to struggle toorganize its ideas. The way it is taught may also be a part of the problem. Most textbooks (andhence most courses) first use kinematics to describe motion and later use kinetics to relate forcesand accelerations. This organization makes perfect sense if you are designing a mechanism: adescription of the motion is needed first, followed by a calculation of the forces that will act ondifferent parts. However, little design work occurs in an introductory

Conference Session

The 'Strengths' of Mechanics

Collection

2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Authors

Gaurav Chauda, Michigan State University; Geoffrey Recktenwald, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

possible without proper comprehension of the concepts [1, 2] and will diminishover time without proper revision and review [3]. To ensure concept retention, a typicalengineering curriculum is divided into multiple sequences of courses. Each sequence covers asubfield and reinforces core concepts over several semesters. The structural mechanics’curriculum in mechanical engineering is a sequence of four courses: Statics, Mechanics ofMaterials, Mechanical Design, and Kinematic Design. Each course is focused on core conceptsthat are prerequisites to the following course, in order for students to develop a deep knowledgethrough the sequence. Assessing student comprehension levels and identifying gaps in students’knowledge can help educators plan and