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)

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)

Paper ID #42554Use of Sentiment Analysis to Assess Student Reflections in StaticsDr. Amie Baisley, University of Florida I am an Instructional Assistant Professor at the University of Florida teaching primarily 2nd year mechanics courses. My teaching and research interests are alternative pedagogies, mastery-based learning and assessment, student persistence in their first two years, and faculty development.Chiranjeevi Singh Marutla, University of Florida ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2024 Use of Sentiment Analysis to Assess Student Reflections in StaticsIn a flipped

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)

Paper ID #41293Using Scaffolded Exams and Post-Exam Reflection to Foster Students’ MetacognitiveRegulation of Learning in a Mechanics of Materials ClassDr. Huihui Qi, University of California, San Diego Dr.Huihui Qi is an Associate Teaching Professor in the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, at the University of California San Diego.Isabella Fiorini, University of California, San DiegoEdward Zhou Yang Yu, University of California, San Diego Edward Yu is a third-year undergraduate student at UC San Diego majoring in Aerospace Engineering with a specialization in Astrodynamics. Edward mainly assists with the

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 1B

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wayne L Chang, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; 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; Thomas Golecki, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Kellie M Halloran, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Shelby Hutchens, 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)

for Advanced Science and Technology. Her research focuses on the use of experimental and computational methods to evaluate the interdependence of mechanical, compositional, structural properties of bone, ligament, and tendon to investigate the progression and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. Her work has been funded by NSF, NIH, and industry/foundation sponsors. She has received awards from the US and Australian Orthopedic Research Societies and the Beckman Foundation in recognition of her scholarship. ©American Society for Engineering Education, 2025 Reflecting on Ten Years of Building a Community of Practice for Teaching Innovations in Fundamental Mechanics

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Paper ID #48273The Relationship Between Student Sentiment and Academic Performanceusing Student Reflections from a Flipped, Mastery-Based Statics CourseDr. Amie Baisley, University of Florida Amie Baisley is currently the Thomas O. Hunter Rising Star Instructional Assistant Professor at the University of Florida teaching primarily 2nd year mechanics courses. Her teaching and research interests are alternative pedagogies, mastery-based learning and assessment, student persistence in their first two years, and faculty development.Chiranjeevi Singh Marutla, University of Florida ©American Society for

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 7A

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexander John De Rosa, University of Delaware; Teri Kristine Reed, The University of Oklahoma Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

where experts werepresented with less structured or familiar problems, studies have observed that experts displayedmore reflective and metacognitive strategies, and were better able to leverage their breadth ofknowledge to solve the problem relative to novice practitioners [8,18-20].The concept of adaptive expertise [21,22] has also been introduced to describe how experts areable to “apply, adapt, and otherwise stretch knowledge” to solve novel problems [18]. Theadaptiveness of the expert is thought to comprise multiple dimensions; (1) the ability to take onmultiple perspectives, (2) metacognition, (3) goals and beliefs, and (4) epistemology [22].Importantly for this particular definition of adaptive expertise, one does not necessarily need

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, U.S. Air Force Academy; Ryan Carr, U.S. Air Force Academy; Brian P. Self, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

disciplines, including engineering, where traditional assessment methods often focusheavily on quantitative metrics such as exams and problem sets.In engineering education, portfolios have been employed to assess a variety of skills andoutcomes that are not easily captured through conventional means. For example, portfolios areused to evaluate students' design capabilities, teamwork experiences, and communication skills,core competencies emphasized in ABET accreditation criteria [3]. Portfolios provide a structuredplatform for students to document their iterative design processes, reflect on their decision-making, and align their learning artifacts with specific course or program outcomes [4].Furthermore, the reflective component of portfolios has

Conference Session

Assessing Conceptual Thinking about Engineering Mechanics

Collection

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexander John De Rosa, University of Delaware; Samuel Van Horne, University of Delaware

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

correctly while only two managedto determine the weight of the plate correctly. Several students referred to using tabulated data orsimpler shapes in other courses to find the centroid and this lack of practice with equations beinga barrier to success in solving the problem used in this study which does not use a simple shape;“So you have areas which you can find by, by just like simple shapes. And then those have likeknown centroids. And then you can just do sum of centroid times area divided by sum of area forthis because your thing is modeled by an equation, you can't do that. So my dilemma now isremembering the formula.”(5) Solution Evaluation; the only student to obviously display reflective and evaluative practicewas the individual who

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 5

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Leslie A Brown, Utah State University; Marissa A Tsugawa, Utah State University - Engineering Education

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

players ‘take turns’ during the players interact in the game game, competition vs collaborative games, point systems and rewards, etc.Game Elements The “look and feel” of the game Game aesthetics and game themeGamification has been linked to motivational theories such as Self-Determination Theory (SDT)because of the extrinsic motivators (such as points, badges, and leaderboards) and intrinsicmotivators (such as group work and autonomy) provided in gamified environments [14], [15],[16]. More specifically, the game design we intend to implement involves the use of intrinsicmotivators such as stories, challenges, and avatars to enhance self-reflection skills [17

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 7B

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Olivia Ryan, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Jacob R Grohs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; David A. Dillard P.E., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; James Lord, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Cassie Wallwey, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Benjamin Edward Chaback, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Anita Walz, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

]‬‭. This step enabled us to identify recurring themes, patterns,‬ ‭and insights related to students’ perceptions and uses of the OER Deforms textbook, as well as‬ ‭the financial benefits of the textbook. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive‬ ‭statistics, which is valuable in education research to describe a situation without trying to address‬ ‭relationships between variables‬‭[25]‬‭. Additionally, the rank of academic strategies was analyzed‬u‭ sing a Mann-Whitney U test to compare differences in students' academic strategies between‬ ‭their reflections on Statics and Deforms, assessing whether certain strategies were ranked higher‬ ‭or lower across the different courses‬‭[26]‬‭. The analysis results are presented

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 6

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ashraf Badir, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

students’ attitude towards learning addressing study habits, preparation,participation, and engagement, among others. However, results of these distinct approachessuggested that these changes had a minimal impact on the students’ academic performance.In previous work in Progress, self-graded homework was implemented, by assigning traditionalpaper-pencil carefully crafted problems. These selected problems were self-graded by thestudents during review sessions before the mid-semester and final exams. The results of that onesemester study (fall 2023) suggested that this change did not significantly impact students’ examscores. However, having students grading their own work fostered reflection. Some studentsfound that the problems were too difficult

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics: Modes and Methods

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Papadopoulos, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

engagement on a scale that I have not achieved before, andalso rewards other kinds of learning and metacognition that enhance the context of the corecontent. Sure, some students still arrive unprepared and do not adequately participate (in whichcase a penalty or direct failure can occur), but on the whole, no one can hide from me, the tutors,or their teammates, and this level of engagement drives attention to task, which appears to driveimproved performance. All of this is to say that the new grade weighting is merited.As a final reflection, I find the class is more enjoyable to conduct, I feel that I am getting toknow the students much better, and I can do deeper grading but in less total quantity. Rather thangrading 100’s of test questions per

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)

exams are well written [2]. Even in the context of standardized testing ithas been found that student GRE scores compared to student written responses had a highcorrelation between the results [3]. Multiple-choice tests can be valid assessment instruments ifwritten correctly, which has led to many concept inventories being created in STEM, like theMechanics Diagnostic Test, Force Concept Inventory, Statics Concept Inventory, DynamicsConcept Inventory, and many others [2, 4, 5].Often MCT are used as pre-/post-tests to try to identify changes in learning. The quantitative resultsof these multiple-choice tests provide easy comparison data when looked at from a pre-/post-testanalysis, but the scores do not always adequately reflect a learning

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 7B

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Huihui Qi, University of California, San Diego; Richard Eugene Vallejo Jr, University of California, San Diego; Changkai Chen, University of California, San Diego; Minju Kim, University of California, San Diego; Alex M. Phan, University of California, San Diego; Marko Lubarda, University of California, San Diego; Celeste Pilegard, University of California, San Diego; Curt Schurgers, University of California, San Diego

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

instruction; they need opportunities to apply these strategies acrossdiverse contexts. This includes instructors modeling how to recognize when specific strategiesare useful and providing ongoing feedback (Wingate, 2007). Some instructors embed learningstrategies into course activities without explicitly explaining how or why they work. While thisapproach may help students see the relevance of these strategies within specific contexts, it oftenfails to support their transfer to novel situations. Successful transfer of learning requires thedevelopment of reflective expertise (van Merrienboer et al., 1992)—a form of metacognitiveskill that enables students to not only execute a strategy but also understand its underlyingprinciples. This expertise

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 6

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ibukunoluwa Eunice Salami, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Logan Andrew Perry, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

before.” Participant FThe quotes above reveal that students attributed some of the challenges they experience inengineering statics to their understanding and their ability to apply knowledge from prerequisitessubjects such as physics, centroids and trigonometry.Theme 2: Course Difficulty and Concept MasteryThis theme reflects students' initial perceptions of the difficulty of the course and the challengesthey encounter in mastering key statics concepts. The theme emphasizes both externalperceptions and internal struggles in learning the contents of the course. The theme was furtherdivided into two sub-themes: “Preconceived Notion of Hardness” and “Understanding andApplying Key Statics Concepts”.Preconceived Notion of DifficultyThis subtheme is

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 3

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christine F. Goble, Centre College; Martha E. Grady, University of Kentucky

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

, reflection, and low stakes assessment.It is anticipated that this paper will increase dissemination of the Statics Shoebox Kit materialsand result in an increased use of hands-on learning in engineering mechanics classrooms.Another benefit, already observed since the launch of the Canvas platform, is enhancedconnections among statics instructors across the nation.IntroductionAn experience at the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference in2017, where the authors presented hands-on activities for statics instructors, motivated thedevelopment of the statics shoebox kits. The presenting author was approached by severalfaculty to share these materials. From this experience, the authors realized there is a need formore hands-on

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics: Modes and Methods

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert A. Hume, P.E., United States Military Academy; Adrian Biggerstaff, United States Military Academy; Eric B. Williamson, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

be better. I felt like I was just correcting mathematical errors, perhaps this method will improve my scrutiny over time but it is hard to tell from one problem set.Students were similarly neutral to positive in their comments at the end of the semester, thoughfar fewer focused on the mechanics of working through the self-revision process. Most studentsfocused their comments instead on the outcomes of the process: The self-revised method reduced study time and helped me work through my thought process on mistakes, helping me to solidify how to overcome those particular problems. I was better able to reflect on my mistakes using this method. This is because, for the regular problem sets, I rarely look at

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)

Biotechnology in the Division of Science and Technology at the United International College (UIC) in Zhuhai China. She has trained with ASCE’s Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) initiative, been exploring and applying evidence-based strategies for instruction, and is a proponent of Learning Assistants (LAs). Her scholarship of teaching and learning interests are in motivation and mindset, teamwork and collaboration, and learning through failure and reflection. Her bioengineering research interests and collaborations are in the areas of biomaterials, cellular microenvironments, and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. She serves on leadership teams for the Whitaker Center of STEM Education and the

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 7B

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jean-Christophe Raymond-Bertrand, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Mikayla R Hoyle, University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign; Melany Denise Opolz, 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 at 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)

textbook and lecture notes, providing context beyond aslideshow, but with brevity in mind [7]. The shorter format aligns with students’ penchanttowards concise summaries over lengthy readings — reflected in the popular acronym TL;DR orToo Long; Didn’t Read, usually indicating a person skipped a large piece of text due to itswordiness. The goal is to promote the different aspects laid out in the 3Cs framework.Designed with continuity in mind, the pages reuse and connect concepts, examples, and figuresacross courses. This reinforces core ideas while demonstrating applications in diverse contexts,with the aim to strengthen students’ understanding of concepts and highlight theinterconnectedness of their studies.The online aspect is critical. As

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)

simplify the model as they see fit, and then apply the canonical mathematical models theywere taught in their engineering science courses to guide their design decisions in a group settingand reflect on their answers. Previous research has focused on engineering students workingtogether within designated design courses, but little is known about how students work togetherin a group to solve a problem in an engineering science course.This full research paper serves as our first attempt to answer the questions: 1) How do undergraduate engineering student teams solve an open-ended statics problem? 2) How does solving these problems contribute to building professional engineering skills?BackgroundOne of the main activities of

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 1A

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dave Kim, Washington State University-Vancouver; Charles Riley P.E., Oregon Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

, conducting experiments, and developingproblem-solving and critical thinking abilities [1]. Often, lab courses are offered in the earlyphase of engineering majors to provide students with hands-on experience and a foundationalunderstanding of core engineering principles. For engineering labs, a range of assessmentmethods exists and includes lab reports, quizzes and exams, post-lab assignments, lab practicals, 1and instructor observations. Among these, lab reports are the most dominant assessment methodfor evaluating students’ learning from the labs. Indeed, lab report writing aligns well with the“write to learn” approach - an active learning approach - by encouraging students to reflect ontheir

Conference Session

Keeping It Real: Real World Examples and Systems Thinking

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kathryn Mary Rupe, Western Washington University; Eric Davishahl, Whatcom Community College; Lee Singleton, Whatcom Community College; Rebecca S. Borowski

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

their thinking using a variety of representations(mathematical, symbolic, pictorial, and concrete). This study adds to the empirical research onthe role of representations and tools used in learning and practice in engineering, an area of needin the field [12].MethodologyThis study used semi-structured interviews with statics students in their last week of a 10-weekquarter. Ten students engaged in hour-long interviews that included reflective prompts abouttheir experiences in the statics course and STEM more broadly, as well as a series of three tasksfocused on spherical angles, coordinate direction angles, and angles between 3D vectors. In eachtask the relevant calculations were provided, and the prompts asked students to consider how onevalue

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 2

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anthony Battistini, Angelo State University; Mohammad Shafinul Haque, Angelo State University; William A Kitch P.E., Angelo State University; Soyoon Kum, Angelo State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

the process of learning by inquiring about the nature of experience [7].Kolb stated that experiential learning includes all modes of the learning cycle and ensureseffective knowledge acquisition [7]. Experiential learning includes four modes: ConcreteExperience (CE), Reflective Observation (RO), Abstract Conceptualization (AC), and ActiveExperimentation (AE). The concrete experience and active experimentation can be achieved byhands-on experience of a physical model, followed by a recording of experimental observationsand measurements. Afterwards, students should reflect on these observations, facilitated byguided questioning, and then connect their observations to the derived theories (abstractconceptualization). Students can then actively

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 1A

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ryan Carr, U.S. Air Force Academy; Phillip Cornwell, U.S. Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

“Artificial Intelligence” or “AI” in the title. The set can beexpanded to over 100 by adding terms such as “Machine Learning”, “Large Language Models”,or “Generative”. Results are spread across most ASEE divisions, reflecting the intense interestengineering educators have in using modern AI-based tools in the classroom. Proposed uses ofAI are too many to enumerate here, but broad topics include techniques for teaching studentshow to use AI, recommendations to instructors on using AI tools to assist with curriculumdevelopment and assessment, the ethics of AI use in the classroom, and advances in AI forsolving engineering problems.Given the focus on these emerging tools by educators and students alike, it is imprudent toignore their use in any field of

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 1A

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

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

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

confident that ChatGPT's solution is correct?" If they identifiedany errors in ChatGPT’s solution, they were instructed to circle the incorrect parts and briefly theexplain the issues with the provided solution.Students in Statics were additionally instructed to utilize AI tools with image-processingcapabilities to tackle two challenging problems, such as creating shear force and bending momentdiagrams for a beam under various loads as a class project. They then compared their solutionswith those generated by the AI. Following this exercise, students were asked to identifydiscrepancies between their responses and the AI-generated results and reflect on the AI'sperformance. This activity provided them with valuable knowledge and deeper insights into

Conference Session

Mechanics Division (MECHS) Technical Session 6

Collection

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Priyantha Wijesinghe, University of Vermont; Varuni A. Seneviratne, University of Vermont; Larry R Medsker, The George Washington University; Courtney D Giles, University of Vermont; Marlee Ottati, University of Vermont

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

)The Pilot SKI (SKI 1.0) administered in Spring 2024 consisted of fifteen problems, includingeight MCQs and seven procedural problems. The second problem set, administered in Fall 2024(SKI 2.0), included eleven problems, five MCQs, and six procedural problems. Both problemsets incorporated drawing FBDs and multi-part procedural problems, allowing us to evaluatestudents' conceptual understanding, problem-solving skills, and computational accuracy. We alsoincluded two reflective questions with each problem in both sets to assess students' self-reportedconfidence and perceived difficulty. Additionally, both problem sets concluded with tworeflective prompts asking students to (1) reflect on where/when they had learned the relevantconcepts or

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)

and ability to motivate students to internalize the covered material [5]. Someinstructors reflected that often students join class discussions without completing the requiredpre-requisite reading [7].Inquiry-Based Learning for Pre-trainingDifferent from traditional methods, Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) is an active learning formatthat involves students in a process of discovery and exploration [8]. Prior research has shownInquiry-Based Learning Activities (IBLA) increase student motivation and engagement, improvecritical thinking and problem-solving skills, and promote deep learning and understanding ofsubject matter. Inquiry-Based Learning is also associated with positive attitudes towardslearning, increased self-efficacy, and greater

Conference Session

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

Collection

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maxine Fontaine, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

, students complete two exam problems toassess mastery of the last three weekly topics. Quiz problems were on average slightly lessdifficult than exam problems, as reflected in the overall average scores. A total of 8 quizproblems and 8 exam problems were completed over the course of the semester.Since quiz and exam problems test specific concepts, this study also investigates whether therelationship is stronger for certain concepts than others, e.g. simpler fundamental concepts at thestart of the semester vs. more advanced topics require integration of multiple concepts.The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R) is a timed standardized test ofmental rotations commonly used to assess spatial ability. The passing threshold is typically

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)

people (n = 3) walking on the staircaseImage detection is unsuccessful when simultaneously.many people are moving on the staircasesimultaneously. Adequate separation should be provided between moving people. The authors recommend at least 3 feet (1 m).Based on the user's position and field ofview, people standing near the middle of Each person being tracked must stand close to thethe steps (-Z direction) are not right edge of the staircase (i.e. railing).consistently recognized by the model.Image detection was temporarily The effects of the reflections can be reduced if: (a)disrupted or misinterpreted (e.g

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)

two instructors in fall 2022. These sections administered the same assessments onthe same schedule but did not use the hands-on curriculum.We compare learning outcomes between the control and intervention sections as measured by thescores on the assessments described above as well as final course grades. Larger pre/post gainson the TRCV across all intervention sections is evidence that the modeling kit producedimproved learning gains with respect to vector concepts and representations. We also sharereflections from the two faculty participants regarding their experiences teaching with themodels. Overall, the instructors’ experiences and reflections demonstrate the importance ofadapting an outside curriculum to the specific educational context