2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Effects of Integrating Computational Tools into an Introductory Engineering Mechanics Course

Presented at Applications and Computational Tools for Mechanics Education

The integration of computational tools into engineering education has become pivotal, enhancing students’ depth of knowledge and better preparing them for future careers. The Mechanical Engineering department at a large midwestern university has embraced this shift since Fall 2021, by integrating computational Python exercises through Jupyter notebooks into their Statics course, a required course in several degree programs in the College of Engineering. In each of the subsequent semesters, additional resources were made available to students to bolster the implementation of computational tools. In addition, the course sequence was modified to require students to take a linear algebra course with emphasis on computational tools as a co-requisite or prerequisite for the Statics course. In this paper, we summarize the results of surveys completed by students who have taken or are currently taking the Statics course to identify the impact of these changes. In particular, we defined four different metrics to determine the impact of incorporating computational tools in this course: 1) effectiveness of the computational exercises in building Python skills; 2) students’ confidence level in solving statics problems; 3) students’ attitude towards the importance of computational tools; and 4) students’ satisfaction regarding the revised curriculum.. Our survey findings show that students feel their computational skills have improved during the semester, boosting their confidence in using these skills to solve statics problems. Additionally, as the use of computational tools increased throughout the semester, students' satisfaction with the course content also went up. Lastly, we find that the majority of the students believe acquiring computational skills is important for their post-graduation careers.

Authors

Wayne Chang University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Wayne Chang is an assistant teaching professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Irvine. His current engineering education research interests include cross-course teaching tool development, implementation, and integration into curriculums.
Seung Woo Ok University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Matthew West http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7605-0050 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Matthew West is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining Illinois he was on the faculties of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanfo
Sascha Hilgenfeldt University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Mariana Silva University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Mariana Silva is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Silva is known for her teaching innovations and educational studies in large-scale assessments and collaborative learning. She has participated in two major overhauls of large courses in the College of Engineering: she played a key role in the re-structure of the three Mechanics courses in the Mechanical Science and Engineering Department, and the creation of the new computational-based linear algebra course, which was fully launched in Summer 2021. Silva research focuses on the use of web-tools for class collaborative activities, and on the development of online learning and assessment tools. Silva is passionate about teaching and improving the classroom experience for both students and instructors.

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