The Use of GeoGebra Virtual Interactives in Statics to Increase Conceptual Understanding

One of the distinct advantages of interactive digital media versus print media is the ability of the learner to manipulate the digital examples to test their conceptual understanding. A non-moving example diagram demonstrates one version of a case study, which is useful in the initial stages of learning. However, allowing a learner to manipulate and ‘play’ with a diagram feeds into a learner’s curiosity and lets them test the boundaries of their conceptual understanding. This paper will discuss virtual interactives developed in the Geogebra platform as learning tools for Engineering Mechanics: Statics at Colorado State University. Topics will include: the learning curve and use of Geogebra, how assignments built around interactives encourage student use, and future plans for the use of Geogebra in Statics and Dynamics. Educational Basis of Study The use of active learning (across its various forms) has been broadly found to enhance student learning [1], however care must be taken to create active learning tools which are well-structured and delivered. As one example of active learning, the use of physical and virtual interactives (or the combination thereof) for both in-class teaching and outside of class learning has often been shown to enhance student learning [2]. Similar to all other learning materials, the way in which interactives are used can be as influential to student learning gain as the interactive itself. In additional to conceptual and computational analysis, writing has known benefits of enhanced learning and development of effective communication [3]. There are strong parallels between learning engineering and scientific discovery. Both are likely the most productive when those involved do not see their task as hard labor, but instead as an ‘pure play’ [4]. In the words of Albert Einstein, “Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as hard duty.” Students have a broad range of learning styles and as such instructors should develop a broad range of tools to match [5]. Using the Index of Learning Styles [6] a study at Iowa State University found that the majority of students fall into the categories of active, sensing, and visual learners. All these categories suggest that the majority of students who are allowed to actively play with virtual interactives may increase their learning over other methods. A solid conceptual understanding in basic engineering topics like Statics and Dynamics has the potential to make more advanced topics in engineering education easier to learn and retain, and is the basis of developing expertise [7]. Conceptual inventories have been developed for both Statics [8] and Dynamics [9] in recent years. This paper works to bring an active learning tool for students to play with to bolster their conceptual understanding.