Impacts of a Dynamic Visualization Tool on Learning Lateral Loading Fundamentals and Applications
Open Access
- Author:
- Yousef, Joe
- Area of Honors:
- Architectural Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Architectural Engineering
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Rebecca Napolitano, Thesis Supervisor
Richard Mistrick, Thesis Honors Advisor
Ryan Levi Solnosky, Thesis Supervisor
Nathan Brown, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Computer-Aided Learning
Active Learning
Visualization
Lateral Loading
User Input Methods - Abstract:
- Wind and seismic loading are one of the most integral and complex parts of structural engineering, with countless calculation and analysis methods possible. Their complexity poses a challenge in their education, making fundamental understanding of these loads and their most prevalent procedures an essential skill for any structural engineering student entering the industry. With the potential capabilities of Computer-Aided Learning providing an interactive environment and the benefits of visualization in learning, this thesis investigated the potential benefits of dynamic visualization of wind and seismic on the learning gains of student using a web tool in comparison to traditional teaching methods. Additionally, the different potential applications of such tools prompted the question of the effects of different input methods on the different applications of the tool. The learning effects and input methods were investigated by conducting a study in an undergraduate structural engineering class in which wind and seismic loads are taught. The study comprised of three stages, each including a quiz and a survey. The questions and statements were created to form a hierarchy of granularity of the data, which can be separated into learning categories (Fundamentals, Design, and Analysis), and/or loads (Wind and Seismic). The collected data was analyzed at multiple levels in hope of answering the questions identified by this thesis. The results show that the dynamic visualization tools helped student understanding of fundamental understanding, with no noticeable difference between the two tools. On the other hand, the input methods did not have an effect on one application over the other.