Date of Award:

5-2015

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Engineering Education

Committee Chair(s)

Ning Fang

Committee

Ning Fang

Committee

Kurt H. Becker

Committee

Oenardi Lawanto

Committee

Edward M. Reeve

Committee

Gilberto E. Urroz

Abstract

Engineering dynamics is a fundamental core course in many undergraduate engineering curricula. This course is widely regarded as one of the most difficult engineering courses for students to succeed in. A variety of instructional strategies, such as hands-on experimentation, multimedia games, and computer simulation and animation (CSA), have been developed to improve student learning. Among these instructional strategies, CSA has been receiving increasing attention and applications in the international engineering education community. CSA provides students with a visualization tool and a constructivist environment to better understand various engineering problems.

The goal of this dissertation research was to improve student learning of engineering dynamics by developing, implementing, and assessing 12 interactive computer simulation and animation learning modules. A mixed-method study was conducted to examine the effect of the CSA modules on students’ problem-solving skills. The findings of this study provide evidence that if properly designed, CSA can greatly improve student learning of engineering dynamics.

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