Search for: All records

Students often struggle to understand the vector dot product, which is a foundational operation used in mathematics and engineering. To improve undergraduate engineering students’ understanding of the dot product, we developed and tested the effects of an augmented reality (AR) app. The app utilized scaffolding and storyline narration to cover: (1) computation of the angle between vectors, and (2) the projection of a force vector onto a line. Students were randomly assigned to either a treatment group to utilize the AR, or a control group for traditional peer collaboration. Pre/post testing was conducted using a 14-item, 100-point test. 61 pairs of pre/posttest data (ARn = 25, controln = 36) were analyzed using ANCOVA. The 20.9-point improvement in the AR group's mean test scores was significantly larger than the 9.33-point increase in the control group. The effect size (partialη² = 0.135) was considered medium to large. The Instructional Materials Motivation Survey assessed motivation from 12 students in each group. Motivation of the AR group was 19.3% larger than that of the control. The difference was significant with a large effect size. The results suggest that the 3D visualization and immersive qualities of AR may improve learning of vector operations in STEM disciplines. 

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.