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Abstract Mastering the concept of distributed forces is vital for students who are pursuing a major involving engineering mechanics. Misconceptions related to distributed forces that are typically acquired in introductory Physics courses should be corrected to increase student success in subsequent mechanics coursework. The goal of this study was to develop and assess a guided instructional activity using augmented reality (AR) technology to improve undergraduate engineering students' understanding of distributed forces. The AR app was accompanied by a complementary activity to guide and challenge students to model objects as beams with progressively increasing difficulty. The AR tool allowed students to (a) model a tabletop as a beam with multiple distributed forces, (b) visualize the free body diagram, and (c) compute the external support reactions. To assess the effectiveness of the activity, 43 students were allocated to control and treatment groups using an experimental nonequivalent groups preactivity/postactivity test design. Of the 43 students, 35 participated in their respective activity. Students in the control group collaborated on traditional problem‐solving, while those in the treatment group engaged in a guided activity using AR. Students' knowledge of distributed forces was measured using their scores on a 10‐item test instrument. Analysis of covariance was utilized to analyze postactivity test scores by controlling for the preactivity test scores. The treatment group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in postactivity test scores than that of the control group. The measured effect size was 0.13, indicating that 13% of the total variance in the postactivity test scores can be attributed to the activity. Though the effect size was small, the results suggest that a guided AR activity can be more effective in improving student learning outcomes than traditional problem‐solving. 

The objective of this paper is to provide a holistic summary of ongoing research related to the development, implementation, assessment, and continuous refinement of an augmented reality (AR) app known as Vectors in Space. This Unity-based app was created by the authors and provides a self-guided learning experience for students to learn about fundamental vector concepts routinely encountered in undergraduate physics and engineering mechanics courses. Vectors are a fundamental tool in mechanics courses as they allow for the precise and comprehensive description of physical phenomena such as forces, moments, and motion. In early engineering coursework, students often perceive vectors as an abstract mathematical concept that requires spatial visualization skills in three dimensions (3D). The app aims to allow students to build these tacit skills while simultaneously allowing them to learn fundamental vector concepts that will be necessary in subsequent coursework. Three self-paced, guided learning activities systematically address concepts that include: (a) Cartesian components of vectors, (b) unit vectors and directional angles, (c) addition, (d) subtraction, (e) cross product using the right-hand rule, (f) angle between vectors using the dot product, and (g) vector projections using the dot product. The authors first discuss the app's scaffolding approach with special attention given to the incorporation of Mayer's principles of multimedia learning as well as the use of animations. The authors' approach to develop the associated statics learning activities, practical aspects of implementation, and lessons learned are shared. The effectiveness of the activities is assessed by applying analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to pre- and post-activity assessment scores for control and treatment groups. Though the sample sizes are relatively small (less than 50 students), the results demonstrate that AR had a positive impact on student learning of the dot product and its applications. Larger sample sizes and refinements to the test instruments will be necessary in the future to draw robust conclusions regarding the other vector topics and operations. Qualitative feedback from student focus groups conducted with undergraduate engineering students identified the app's strengths as well as potential areas of improvement. 

Many engineering faculty have been involved in some form of engineering education research (EER) during their professional career. This may range from a relatively superficial participation as a collaborator on a small departmental education initiative to a larger role in a leadership position as a principal investigator on a multi-institutional research grant. Regardless of the level of involvement, each engineering educator must evolve and invest substantial time to acquire a level of EER knowledge that is commensurate with their desired degree of participation. For those educators who are motivated to fully immerse themselves into a potentially rewarding EER program with the expectation of perpetuity, their evolution is not without barriers to entry and associated risks. The objective of this paper is to share the experiences of three established civil engineering faculty and their mentor who are within two years of receiving their first NSF grants to support EER projects at their home institution. Barriers to entry, challenges, and the lessons learned associated with their growth as emerging engineering education researchers are discussed. Strategies and resources are provided to assist new engineering educators to: lobby for institutional support, secure initial extramural funding, initiate collaborations, formulate short- and long-term career plans, build an Individual Development Plan (IDP), and develop an effective mentor-mentee relationship with an established researcher in the social sciences. It is hoped that this work will provide a holistic summary of their pathway, and to also caution and guide faculty who are contemplating either a partial or complete shift in their research paradigm to EER. 

A critical learning outcome of undergraduate engineering mechanics courses is the ability to understand how a structure's internal forces and bending moment will change in response to static and dynamic loads. One of the major challenges associated with both teaching and learning these concepts is the invisible nature of the internal effects. Although concentrated forces applied to the top of the beam can be easily visualized, observing the corresponding changes in the shear and bending moment diagrams is not a trivial task. Nonetheless, proficiency in this concept is vital for students to succeed in subsequent mechanics courses and, ultimately, as a professional practitioner. One promising technology that can enable students to see the invisible internal effects is augmented reality (AR), where virtual or digital objects can be seen through a device such as a smart phone or headset. This paper describes the proof-of-concept development of a Unity®-based AR application called "AR Stairs" that allows students to visualize (in-situ) the relative magnitude of the internal bending moment in an actual structure. The app is specifically tailored to an existing 40-foot long, 16-foot high steel staircase structure located at the authors' institution. This paper details the application design, analysis assumptions, calculations, technical challenges encountered, development environment, and content development. The key features of the app are discussed, which include: (a) coordinate system identification and placement, (b) automatic mapping of a stairs model in-situ, (c) creation of a virtual 2-dimensional staircase model, (d) object detection and tracking of people moving on the stairs, (e) image recognition to approximate people's weight, (f) overlays of virtual force vectors onto moving people, and (g) use of a chromatic scale to visually convey the relative intensity of the internal bending moment at nodes spaced over the length of the structure. It is the authors' intention to also provide the reader with an overall picture of the resources needed to develop AR applications for use in pedagogical settings, the design decision tradeoffs, and practical issues related to deployment. As AR technologies continually improve, they are expected to become an integral part of the pedagogical toolset used by engineering educators to improve the quality of education delivered to engineering students.