Identifying and investigating difficult concepts in engineering mechanics and electric circuits

Abstract

Two research questions motivated this study: "What important concepts in electric circuits and engineering mechanics do students find difficult to learn?" and "How can we describe students' mental models of the concepts identified in question 1?" This paper discusses the process used to identify difficult concepts in engineering mechanics and electric circuits, the results ofthat identification process, and the results of interviews to uncover the mental models engineering students use to explain these concepts. This study, part of the Center for the Advancement in Engineering Education's "Scholarship of Learning Engineering" element, builds on previous work in thermal and transport science and allows comparisons among difficult concepts in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2006.