A computer‐based free body diagram assistant

We developed an online Free Body Diagram (FBD) Assistant that allows students to construct 2‐D FBDs and to receive constructive feedback for a wide range of practice problems. The system's architecture allows for interoperability between learning management systems and interactive student simulations designed to improve both learning and assessment. The system gathers useful information about students' decision processes as they construct FBDs. This information can be used with a diagnostic module we have developed to reliably, and dynamically, construct appropriate feedback that is specific to the diagram submitted by the student. Students use this asynchronous system to gain practice in constructing FBDs at their own pace, and their records can be analyzed to indicate progress over time. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 14: 281–290, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20088

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