Cannot serve request to /content/enge_vt_edu/en/Most%20definitions%20of%20engineering%20give%20machines%20and%20mechanical%20objects%20a%20central%20role.%20Engineers%20are%20makers%20and%20users%20of%20mechanical%20objects%20in%20their%20environment.%20Research%20supports%20the%20notion%20that%20interactions%20with%20engineered%20artifacts%20enhance%20engineering%20learning.%20This%20study%20introduces%20a%20task%20simulating%20a%20real-world%20engineering%20application%20and%20uses%20this%20task%20to%20examine%20how%20aptitudes,%20interests%20and%20direct%20manipulation%20of%20mechanical%20objects%20influence%20performance.%20We%20hypothesized%20that%20engineering%20students%20would%20generate%20better%20assembly%20instructions%20when%20they%20had%20the%20box%20of%20component%20parts%20(BOP)%20than%20when%20they%20had%20the%20engineering%20drawing%20only.%20We%20also%20hypothesized%20that%20student%27s%20mechanical%20aptitude%20and%20interests%20in%20things%20each%20would%20interact%20with%20experimental%20condition%27s%20impact%20on%20performance.%20First%20year%20engineering%20students%20(N=%20383)%20created%20assembly%20instructions%20in%20a%20mixed%20experimental%20and%20correlational%20design.%20A%20random%20half%20was%20assigned%20to%20create%20instructions%20with%20a%20drawing%20only,%20whereas%20the%20other%20half%20created%20with%20both%20a%20drawing%20and%20a%20box%20of%20component%20parts%20present.%20Assembly%20instructions%20were%20evaluated%20by%20professional%20engineers%20blind%20to%20experimental%20conditions.%20They%20rated%20instructions%20from%20the%20BOP%20group%20as%20superior%20to%20those%20coming%20from%20the%20control%20group.%20Students%20with%20greater%20mechanical%20aptitude%20received%20better%20evaluations,%20but%20there%20was%20no%20evidence%20the%20experimental%20variable%20was%20moderated%20either%20by%20mechanical%20aptitude%20or%20by%20thing%20orientation.%20This%20study%20suggests%20that%20mechanical%20objects%20can%20enhance%20engineering%20instruction,%20especially%20when%20they%20are%20aligned%20with%20professional%20practice..html on this server