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Although faculty-centered pedagogies are endemic across undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, there is increasing interest in active learning approaches. As discipline-based educational research in mechanical engineering continues to assess strategies for improving student learning and development, researchers need data collection tools that ameliorate issues of bias, minimize costs (e.g. time and student attention), and provide reliable data that has been validated within the disciplinary context. This study analyzes the validity and reliability of a commonly used survey, the Students’ Assessment of their Learning Gains (SALG). Data from seven Introduction to Statics courses at two universities were used to identify and confirm the latent constructs of the measure and to assess their reliability and criterion validity. Results demonstrated that four scales—active learning, concept knowledge and skills, self-efficacy, and feedback mechanisms—explain the majority of variation in the SALG survey in relation to the teaching and learning of statics. These scales were statistically validated and shown to accurately capture the criterion they represent. The primary advantage of the SALG is that it is less burdensome to students, who are only required to spend 10 to 15 min once at the end of the course to complete the survey, rather than spending more time with longer surveys or with those that require completion at multiple points in time. The tool is therefore also less disruptive to the class, which may make it more likely that faculty will be willing to include data collection efforts in their courses. 

No skill is more important for a student of mechanics than the ability to draw a complete and accurate free-body diagram (FBD). A good FBD facilitates proper accounting of forces when writing the balances that lead to governing equations in statics, solid mechanics, and dynamics. Because this skill is essential, educational approaches that improve the ability of students to draw correct FBDs are critical for maximizing the potential of the next generation of engineers. Traditionally, learning to draw FBDs involves classroom instruction followed by homework practice consisting of problems drawn from a textbook. Homework as practice does not serve all students well, because it does not scaffold the process of drawing FBDs in terms of distinct tasks (e.g., isolating the body, considering support reactions) nor does it offer immediate feedback, which students often need to avoid falling into the same error repeatedly. To address these shortcomings, we embarked on the design, implementation, and testing of a mobile application (app) that offers an alternative venue for FBD practice. The app provides students with asynchronous opportunities for training, varied tasks that target specific FBD issues, and several levels of immediate feedback. We hypothesize that the gamified environment and puzzle-based gameplay will improve student skill and self-efficacy in drawing FBDs, particularly for women, who may feel less confident in their spatial skills. Data collected to describe student experiences may also provide additional insight into how to improve FBD instruction generally. In this paper, we detail the process for designing and implementing the app and provide initial data regarding student impressions and use. The app was piloted in Fall 2022 in a large Introduction to Statics course as a non-graded study activity; all students except one (n=97) participated in an evaluation of its design features and user experiences. Approximately half (54%) of students indicated they had played half or more of the available games. When commenting about how the FBD app did, or did not, help their learning, 49% of respondents appreciated that the app allowed additional opportunities for practice. Students used these opportunities to further develop several skills, such as visualizing the system and setting up accurate diagrams, which strengthened their confidence and reviewed key concepts. While describing the value of practicing through the app, 21% of students called out how the app provided feedback. They specifically mentioned the positive experiences of receiving feedback that is immediate, that explains boundary connections, and that deepens learning after mistakes are made. These and other findings from the pilot study are discussed with corresponding next steps for development.