Student usage of Lund University Pole-Zero Explorer interactive tool in automatic control teaching

This study examines the effectiveness of LU-PZE 3 3 lu-pze.github.io . , a web-based interactive tool designed to help students visualize and interact with fundamental concepts in automatic control. A total of 200 students enrolled in an introductory course on automatic control had the option to use LU-PZE as an additional resource for learning. LU-PZE offers users randomized quizzes, structured assignments, and real-time visualizations of theoretical concepts. An analysis of student usage shows that LU-PZE successfully increased student engagement and improved their understanding of automatic control principles. Student feedback also reveals that the students appreciate interactive tools for learning. These findings suggest that LU-PZE can be a valuable tool for teachers to promote active learning and enhance student outcomes in introductory courses in automatic control. • Diverse Learning Approaches: The study demonstrates that students use interactive tools in varied ways – some focus on competitive quizzes, while others explore the tool’s features for independent learning and visualization. • Gamification & Learning: While not universally appealing, the gamified aspects (quizzes) significantly motivated a portion of students, and their quiz performance showed demonstrable improvements in knowledge. This suggests gamification can be effective but isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. • Implicit Learning: Interestingly, students didn’t always perceive themselves as learning from LU-PZE, yet their quiz results proved otherwise. This highlights the potential for interactive tools to facilitate implicit learning – knowledge acquisition without conscious awareness. • Impact of Tool Timing: Student feedback suggests introducing interactive tools earlier in a course could be more beneficial, allowing them to explore concepts beforehand and potentially deepen understanding throughout the curriculum.