2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Computational Tools for Dynamics and Controls: Developing Computational Literacy for Engineering Students

Presented at Aerospace Division (AERO) Technical Session 4 - Simulation, VR, and Hands-on Learning

The integration of computational tools into the engineering education of undergraduate students has been a crucial task in improving the depth and variety of students' grasp of the materials, as well as in preparing them better for real-world challenges in their future careers. The Grainger College of Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has pursued this approach in recent years by adopting a suite of Python-based computational exercises in a variety of sophomore-level math and engineering classes. Here we report on the next step in this educational program: new computational tools were developed to be integrated into junior-level classes, taking four courses in the field of Dynamics and Control as an initial target for the implementation. While Python-based and building on the previously developed computational elements, these new tools are more advanced and challenge students to tackle more sophisticated numerical and programming tasks. At the same time, they encourage open-ended thinking and creativity in the students, as the new tools are flexible enough to allow for deeper exploration of topics. The goal is to foster true computational literacy, so that students are comfortable using a computer for solving problems as a matter of course. In addition to a description of the tools and their implementation in the curriculum, we report extensive survey data concerning student acceptance of and comfort with these changes. We find that students enter the classes with solid Python backgrounds, and students report that their computational skills have improved with the new tools, that they appreciate the importance of computational literacy for their post-graduation careers, and that they have increased confidence in applying their computational skills. These positive trends are particularly strong with aerospace engineering students.

Authors

Wayne L Chang University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign [biography]

Dr. Wayne Chang is a teaching assistant professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Irvine.
Jairo Martin Rojas Huamaní University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign [biography]

Jairo M. Rojas is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on theoretical soft matter, with emphasis on tissue mechanics and active matter.
Mr. Grayson Kenneth Schaer University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign [biography]

Grayson is a PH.D. candidate in aerospace engineering in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on the intersection of applied controls and autonomous materials manufacturing. He has additional interests in developing Python-based educational tools with an emphasis on the simulation and role-play pedagogy.
Prof. Timothy Bretl University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Timothy Bretl is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Siegfried Eggl University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Siegfried Eggl (Ph.D. ’13 Univ. of Vienna, Austria) is Assistant Professor in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he is leading the Astrodynamics and Planetary EXploration (APEX) group at UIUC conducting research in Space Situational Awareness, Celestial Navigation, Planetary Science and Planetary Defense. As part of the NSF-Simons Foundation-funded SkAI institute, he is engaged in AI research across astronomy and aerospace engineering.
Thomas Golecki http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0750-8582 University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign [biography]

I spent 10+ years in industry as an engineer in structural mechanics and structural health monitoring projects, earning professional licensure as PE and SE. My PhD research focused on the structural optimization of dynamic systems including random loading and vehicle-bridge interaction. Now as teaching faculty, I try to connect course concepts to real-world examples in a way that motivates and engages students.
Melkior Ornik University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign [biography]

Melkior Ornik (mornik@illinois.edu) is an Assistant Professor with the Dept. of Aerospace Engineering and the Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA. He received a Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, in 2017. His technical research interests include developing theory and algorithms for control of autonomous systems operating in uncertain, complex, and changing environments, as well as in scenarios where only limited knowledge of the system is available.
Srinivasa M. Salapaka University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign [biography]

Dr. Srinivasa M. Salapaka is a faculty member in Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has extensive experience teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in dynamics, signal processing, and control systems. His work on integrating computational tools into engineering curricula draws on his expertise in numerical methods and systems analysis. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award and a Fellow of ASME.
Prof. Matthew West http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7605-0050 University of Illinois at 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 at Urbana - Champaign [biography]

Sascha Hilgenfeldt is a professor in the Mechanical Science and Engineering department of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His technical research centers on Soft Matter, disordered systems, and microfluidics.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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