Mitigating Spatial-Interpretation Barriers in Mechanics of Materials Through Browser-Based 3D Models and Additively Manufactured Replicas: A Qualitative Study

Mechanics of Materials is a core subject in mechanical engineering curricula, yet many students struggle not only with analytical procedures, but also with the prior step of correctly interpreting the geometrical, loading, and support conditions represented in exercise statements. This paper reports the qualitative stage of a broader educational investigation conducted with more than 100 undergraduate students enrolled in a Mechanics of Materials course. The study focused on recurrent difficulties associated with the interpretation of technical drawings, schematic representations, and illustrative figures provided in problem statements. The diagnostic stage combined two complementary sources of evidence: the identification of exercises with a high incidence of solution errors and follow-up student interviews indicating that misinterpretation of the statement, rather than purely mathematical weakness, was a major cause of failure. Based on these findings, two complementary instructional strategies were implemented. First, three-dimensional models of selected exercises were created and made available online through GrabCAD, allowing students to inspect the geometries without requiring local CAD installation. Second, additively manufactured physical models of the exercises to be discussed in class were used during problem-solving sessions to support visualization and interpretation. The paper discusses the pedagogical rationale of this dual intervention and illustrates its application through a representative exercise drawn from a globally adopted reference textbook. By integrating digital and physical visualization resources into the teaching of Mechanics of Materials, the study proposes a low-cost and replicable approach to support spatial reasoning and improve the interpretation of engineering problem statements. Quantitative assessment of failure modes and of the effectiveness of the implemented actions is currently being consolidated and will be reported in a subsequent study.