2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Civil and structural engineering students often have challenges with conceptual understanding of structural analysis and dynamics. Historically, students have done problem sets with images of scenarios until they had an opportunity to visit sites where models and structures have been built for testing. Students need better tools for improving conceptual understanding of support reactions, axial forces for trusses, and shear and moments for beams via active-learning instructional activities.

This project goal was develop, test, and refine new SCPS tools using design-based implementation research (DBIR). The research question highlighted is: How does SCPS affect student ability to sense and predict CBE problem solutions? We use items from concept inventories [Force Concept Inventory(Caballero et al., 2012) and Statics Concept Inventory(Steif & Dantzler, 2005)] to gauge growth in student understanding of explicit concepts. The assessment plan includes establishing baseline data of student understanding and comparing it over time to student scores on homework and final exams.

This paper describes the development of a web application that helps students move from paper and pencil problem sets to learning experiences involving simulations and presents the findings from the user studies to revise the application. We will also describe how we changed the courses to integrate the software, initial lessons learned from students using the application for homework, and offer a mini-class-demo if time permits.