Enhancing System Dynamics Education Through Smartphone Sensor‐Based At‐Home Experiments

ABSTRACT

The widespread use of smartphones among college students, combined with the sophisticated sensors these devices contain, enables their use as portable, low‐cost measurement systems when paired with simple physical setups. Such at‐home engineering experiments offer an engaging and flexible learning environment that can enhance students' understanding of key engineering concepts. This paper reports on using the smartphone gyroscope sensor to conduct two at‐home experiments, namely the oscillation of a compound pendulum and the vibration of a cantilever beam, in a junior‐level, lecture‐only system dynamics course. The aim was to reinforce students' conceptual understanding and experimental skills in system dynamics, a foundational subject for control systems in mechanical and electrical engineering curricula. All students in the class were provided with a physical system to experiment with. The study was conducted over a 4‐year period and involved 350 students. Data analysis of the short pre‐ and post‐quizzes administered in each of the two experiments suggests that the at‐home experiments had a positive impact on students' understanding of key concepts. Furthermore, written comments from the students indicated that they valued the learning experience gained from performing these experiments.