2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Troubleshooting requires students to iteratively diagnose, attempt repairs, and test a system using a range of strategies. It is a critical but under-instructed engineering competency. Prior research has examined troubleshooting within individual disciplines, but there is limited guidance on designing cross‑disciplinary troubleshooting activities for undergraduate engineering students or on how instructional modality (hands-on, paper-based, or simulation) influences students’ troubleshooting approaches. This work-in-progress paper presents the design of two short, adaptable troubleshooting exercises intended for general undergraduate engineering populations: an electrical LED circuit and a mechanical Ferris wheel system. Each exercise was elicits specific troubleshooting strategies and can be adapted to multiple modalities. We describe the design goals, key implementation decisions, and configurable fault modes for each exercise. By detailing these design considerations, this paper aims to inform the development of future cross‑disciplinary troubleshooting activities and to establish a foundation for subsequent research examining how modality impacts students’ troubleshooting processes, strategy selection, and assessment methods.