Student Misconceptions of General Plane Motion in Rigid-Body Kinematics

Abstract

This paper presents a review on student misconceptions of general plane motion (GPM), one of the most difficult yet important concepts in engineering dynamics and a foundational course that civil and mechanical engineering students are required to take in their undergraduate study. The paper discusses student misconceptions of GPM reported in the literature. Five reasons that cause student misconceptions of GPM are proposed and analyzed: lack of fundamental understanding of basic concepts, basic mathematics skills, knowledge transfer skills, spatial skills, and hand-sketching skills. Some remedial strategies for correcting student misconceptions of GPM are also discussed.