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A Visual and Intuitive Approach to Teaching and Learning Engineering and Computer Science Concepts

This presentation describes an innovative teaching approach that incorporates students’ learning preferences, i.e., visual, intuitive, interactive, playful, and user-friendly, that allow for understanding concepts with minimal use of mathematics. The focus is on explaining ideas using familiar daily experiences (such as A/C system or driverless cars, for clarifying the concept of closed loop systems), knowledge (such as an algorithm for crossing the Panama Canal), interactive puzzlers (e.g., bridge crossing teasers), and games (e.g., Quarto). An advantage of this approach is that it allows for better web-based learning and for easier introduction of concepts and material to interested individuals who do not have the “official” background/prerequisite. In fact, when developing the material we tried to answer the question: “Will a fourth grader be able to understand it? If not… keep improving.” This approach can be extended to other disciplines and courses.