2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Targeted Self-Graded Problems in Engineering Mechanics

Presented at Student Self-assessment in Mechanics Courses

Engineering Mechanics is known to be a “bottleneck” course required in various engineering disciplines. Previous work by faculty at XXX University teaching “Engineering Mechanics: Statics and Dynamics,” investigated factors impacting student performance. These factors included traditional paper-pencil homework problems, Pearson Mastering Engineering software, “adaptive follow-up” modules, McGraw-Hill Connect online homework, ungraded homework with full access to the assignment solutions, frequent quizzes based on homework problems, daily class quizzes, metacognitive exam wrappers, survey questions targeting students’ attitude towards learning addressing study habits, preparation, participation, and engagement, among others. However, results of these distinct approaches suggested that these changes had minimal impact on the overall students’ academic performance.

In the current proposed work, the authors will continue their study in engineering mechanics by assigning traditional paper-pencil carefully crafted problems. These selected problems will be self-graded by the students during review sessions before the mid-semester and final exams. As an example, a made-up single truss problem, incorporating the different truss configurations, will be assigned/self-graded, with the goal to empower the students in the area of truss analysis. Similarly, self-graded problems in dynamics will be introduced in known challenging subjects, such as rigid body kinematics with no-slip rolling wheels, method of instantaneous center of zero velocity, energy methods and impulse momentum, among others.

The efficacy of this experiment will be based on observation of students’ performance on exams, and a survey of students’ perceptions. If proven successful, the targeted self-graded problems will be extended to the subsequent course of mechanics of materials.

Authors

Dr. Ashraf Badir http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-5722-297X Florida Gulf Coast University [biography]

Dr. Badir is a Professor in the Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, and Environmental Engineering Department at the U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering in Florida Gulf Coast University. He earned his B.Sc. (1982) in Civil Engineering and M.Sc. (1985) in Structural Engineering. He also holds a M.Sc. (1989) and a Ph.D. (1992) in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Badir is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida, and a civil engineering program evaluator for ABET.
Dr. Ali Irmak Ozdagli Florida Gulf Coast University [biography]

Dr. Ali Irmak Ozdagli is an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Florida Gulf Coast University. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Bogazici University, Turkey in 2007, followed by a Master of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2009. Dr. Ozdagli furthered his academic pursuits with a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University in 2015, and later, a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University in 2022. With dual Ph.Ds, Dr. Ozdagli brings a unique combination of expertise in Civil Engineering and Computer Science to his role at FGCU. Committed to advancing engineering education and research, his teaching philosophy emphasizes active and collaborative learning. Dr. Ozdagli's research interests span across sensing, hybrid simulation, and artificial intelligence, and he aims to contribute to cutting-edge developments in these areas.
Dr. Jiehong Liao http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4083-9663 Florida Gulf Coast University [biography]

Dr. Jiehong Liao is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). She earned a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Rice University and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Originally from Hawaii, her journey into academia began with the Rensselaer Medalist award and being selected into the inaugural class of Gates Millennium Scholars. Before joining FGCU, she was a visiting Assistant Professor of 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 Lucas Center for Faculty Development at FGCU, and is a member of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the KEEN Engineering Unleashed Network as an Engineering Unleashed Fellow.
Dr. Micheal Abiodun Uduebor Florida Gulf Coast University [biography]

Dr. Micheal "Mike" Abiodun Uduebor serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bio, Civil, and Environmental Engineering at Florida Gulf Coast University. He holds a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from UNC Charlotte and received his B.Eng. in Civil Engineering and M.Eng. in Geotechnical Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria. Dr. Uduebor's professional experience includes roles with TREVI Foundations (2010), GEOTEKNICA (2012), and as a faculty member and junior consultant at FUTA (2013). His expertise spans deep foundations, pavement substructures, small dams, hydrocarbon contamination remediation, and landfill emission mitigation projects. Dr. Uduebor's research focuses on sustainable civil infrastructure, ground improvement, and geohazards risk mitigation, leveraging his deep understanding of geomechanics and the application of water-repellent materials in geotechnical engineering.

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