IMMERSIVE LABS AND DESIGN EXERCISES IN ENGINEERING SCIENCE

with Prof. Gordon Krauss – Harvey Mudd College

Hands-on laboratory activities and structured design exercises significantly boost engineering students’ confidence in applying theoretical knowledge to real-world problems. Prof. Krauss will present experiments done in materials science and solid mechanics, where students reported confidence gains of up to three points on a nine-point Likert scale, particularly in stress calculations and error estimation. The greatest improvements occurred when students engaged in progressively complex design tasks that required balancing trade-offs, highlighting the importance of hands-on experience in building self-efficacy.