COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION IN ENGINEERING DYNAMICS,

The Florida State University School of Engineering Science, in cooperation with the Computer-Assisted Instruction Center, provided 29 undergraduate students with a ninety-minute CAI unit course, supplemented by a one-hour class lecture, on the dynamic nature of three dimensional rotations and Euler angles. The area of Euler angles was selected because, despite its essentiality in problem working in three-dimensional rotations of a rigid body, it has been a stumbling block to students in dynamics. Euler angles are difficult to visualize and have mathematical properties which are unfamiliar to most undergraduates. Utilizing graphic presentations and branching capabilities of CAI to combat these learning difficulties, the CAI program contained three problems in ascending order of difficulty, designed to link the physical geometry of the problem situation with the vector equation derived in class lecture. Although the final problem was typical of previous homework problems, students indicated that they did not consider the question difficult. In addition, students indicated that they considered the CAI program an interesting and effective teaching aid which they would like to see further utilized. Author