Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Abstract This paper discusses the benefits of using interactive tools in Engineering Education. The use of interactive tools as an aid in education reinforces the relationship between theoretical concepts and their physical meaning. Associating abstract theories and mathematical concepts with physical meaning makes fundamental engineering concepts more appealing and tangible. Special in-class assignments are given to various groups of students, requiring them to collaborate with their colleagues by utilizing various interactive tools to achieve a simple goal in introductory engineering courses. This helps stimulate creativity and provides students the opportunity to apply their course learning outcomes to solve real world problems. Interacting with these tools, in parallel with their learnings, also gives students the opportunity to gain technical experience building, testing, and troubleshooting equipment, a skill that appeals to future employers. A tool was developed as a proof of concept to demonstrate the benefits of interactive tools in Engineering Courses. This tool incorporated mechanical, hydraulic, and electric systems and utilized a modern user interface controlled using a touch input. The integration of all these systems provided the flexibility for this tool to be utilized in different courses and events, appealing to a wider audience.
Pate et al. (Tue,) studied this question.