10000 mechanics problems at the press of a button

Abstract

Problem solving is at the heart of the mechanics curriculum, and developing problem solving skills is an important learning objective in basic and advanced mechanics courses at the undergraduate level. In alignment with this tradition, written examinations are mainly designed to test problem solving capabilities. Despite the fact that students spend most of their mechanics studies solving mechanics problems, an alarming fraction of them fail the written examination. One possible explanation is that a problem solving infrastructure, e.g. answers to problems and opportunities for collaboration with fellow students, is provided during the study period of courses, but missing during the examination