2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The integration of augmented reality (AR) has emerged as an innovative approach to support student engagement, conceptual understanding, and visual-spatial skill development in engineering mechanics education. This Work-in-Progress paper reports on the design, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of an AR-based learning module created to support student learning of moments in an undergraduate Statics course. The concept of moments is consistently among the most challenging foundational concepts in Statics. Mastery requires students to interpret three-dimensional spatial relationships, connect physical behavior with mathematical representations, and apply vector and scalar formulations to reason about the magnitude and direction of forces and resulting moments in space. These cognitive demands often lead to persistent misconceptions and extended time to mastery.

The developed module employs a mobile AR application that projects a three-dimensional virtual scene of a billboard sign mounted on a fixed frame and subjected to a force representing wind pressure. Students manipulate both the magnitude and direction of the applied load throughout the learning experience and calculate the resulting moments. Guided tasks prompt students to apply vector and scalar formulations, use the right-hand rule, and verify their analytical results against AR-generated values. This approach enables students to investigate an authentic mechanics scenario that is difficult to replicate with physical models while moving beyond the contrived examples commonly found in textbooks. Unlike traditional computational modeling tools, the AR environment provides immediate, visually anchored feedback without prerequisite modeling skills, such as understanding support conditions, mechanics of materials, and analysis methods beyond the scope of Statics. It also provides a meaningful context for strengthening visual-spatial skills as students connect vector operations with observable physical behavior.

The instructional intervention was implemented with 22 students working in small groups of two to five members, each completing a 45-minute activity in a controlled lab environment. Preliminary results from a post-activity survey indicate high levels of engagement, with 77% of students rating the experience as “very engaging” (4 or 5 on a -5 to +5 scale), and 82% reporting increased confidence in their understanding of moments. Ongoing work seeks to assess its impact on student learning of moments by comparing mastery rates with those of previous cohorts. This study aims to inform the development of AR-based instructional tools that enhance conceptual understanding, foster visual-spatial skill development, and contribute to the growing body of research on technology-enhanced mechanics instruction.