Repeated deliberate practice has been shown to be vital to developing mastery in engineering problem solving. Online tutoring systems have enhanced learning experiences, and delivered content tailored for specialized fields. Motivated by the aim of improving students’ problem solving skills, we created an interactive system for use in an undergraduate introductory engineering mechanics course required for many engineering disciplines. Our system provides an intuitive, visual framework that allows students to rapidly solve problems that require building systems of equations in multiple steps. Built within the OpenDSA eTextbook system, these exercises can be served directly through a learning management system such as Canvas, allowing the exercises to be integrated seamlessly with other content. In this paper, we describe the key design choices for our system, present important features and the student workflow, and describe support for targeted feedback and analysis for the instructors. We present our plans to evaluate the system, and discuss the results of a preliminary usability study.
Arinjoy Basak is a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, advised by Prof. Clifford A. Shaffer. He obtained his Bachelors in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur in 2016, and his Masters in Computer Science from Virginia Tech in 2019.
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1991-3814
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
[biography]
Todd P. Shuba is a Doctoral Student, as well as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA), in the Department of Engineering & Computing Education at the University of Cincinnati. His research interests are both the learning mechanisms and the assessment methodologies in higher engineering education that best foster transfer of learning, or knowledge transfer. He has a BSE in Environmental & Ecological Engineering (with a minor in Mechanical Engineering) and a MSEd in Educational Psychology & Research Methodology, both from Purdue University-West Lafayette.
Sneha is an instructor in the Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics Department at Virginia Tech. She earned her Bachelor's of Science, her Master's of Science, and her Doctoral degree from the Engineering Mechanics department also at Virginia Tech. Her research interests include exploring the most effective methods to teach students introductory level mechanics, especially in the large classroom environment.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2903-9318
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
[biography]
David Dillard is the Adhesive and Sealant Science Professor in the Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics Department at Virginia Tech. He has worked extensively in the field of adhesive bonding, having experience in structural adhesives for aerospace, automotive, and infrastructure applications; adhesives and coatings for microelectronic applications; pressure sensitive adhesives; elastomeric adhesives and sealants; and polymeric membranes. He has authored or co-authored over 195 refereed publications and regularly teaches courses in adhesion science, polymer viscoelasticity, and sustainable energy solutions. With nearly 40 years of experience as an educator, he is interested in new ways to leverage technology to have a positive impact on student learning and assessment.
Jacob Grohs, PhD is Director of the Center for Educational Networks and Impacts at Virginia Tech and Associate Professor of Engineering Education. His primary research interests focus on systems thinking, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and collaborative change. Grohs is an NSF CAREER Awardee and has served as PI/co-PI for several interdisciplinary and multi-party educational research grants.
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9221-1574
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
[biography]
Nicole is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. Prior to joining VT, Dr. Pitterson was a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University. She holds a PhD in Engineering Education from Purdue University and oth
Clifford A. Shaffer received his PhD in Computer Science from University of Maryland, College Park in 1986. He is currently Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, where he has been since 1987. He directs the OpenDSA project, whose goal is to provide a complete online collection of interactive tutorials for data structures and algorithms courses. His research interests are in Digital Education, Algorithm Visualization, Algorithm Design and Analysis, and Data Structures.
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