2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Over the years, students have relied on textbook approaches to learn change of basis matrices. These methodologies often stem from complex abstract concepts, making them difficult for students to comprehend, especially for engineering students who do not have sufficient training for proofs. As a result, lots of students frequently resort to rote memorization of formulas without truly understanding the concepts behind them. Due to the intricacy of these formulas, it's not uncommon for students to make mistakes, leading to poorly solved problems. In response to this issue, this paper introduces an alternative approach that diverges from traditional textbook methods and investigates students’ perceptions on the effectiveness of this alternative approach. This alternative approach builds on foundational linear algebra skills, making it considerably more accessible and easier to understand for students. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for students to memorize complex formulas, promoting sustainable, long-term learning instead.