New Software To Assess Equations Of Motion

By far the most common form of computer-based assessment software is multiple-choice. Alt hough this is convenient for "digital" marking, the resu lting educational experience for the student can leave something to be desired. Therefore the authors are investigating ways of allowing the student of engineering dynamics to respond to problems in a more "free-form" manner. The example presented in this paper allows students to enter the equations of motion for a particle in contact with a plane. The student must follow certain notation conventions, but is not prompted to use any particular co-ordinate system. From the resulting strings it is possible to infer not only which co-ordinate system the student is implicitly usi ng, but whether it is used consistently, or if some other error has been made. Specific diagnostic feedback is provided in the case of an error. Results from student use of the software as part of an assessed course are presented.