Upper Peninsula Teaching & Learning Conference - 2026

Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) is a system that uses symbols on engineering drawings to communicate a design intent, tolerances, and dimensions. GD&T has many complex concepts that are difficult to understand. Although GD&T is an essential skill for students seeking a career in manufacturing and engineering, many college graduates enter the workforce without a strong conceptual understanding of its principles. This study investigates whether incorporating hands-on physical manipulatives into GD&T instruction elevates student learning outcomes compared to traditional lecture-based instruction. The study will be conducted by dividing engineering students into a control group and a treatment group. The control group will receive only lecture instruction, while the treatment group will be given both hands-on activities to demonstrate the part inspection process for GD&T and lecture instruction. Both groups will be given a pre-test, post-test, and exit survey to measure changes in conceptual understanding and student perceptions of learning. The results from this study will be presented as a comparison of the control and treatment groups, and these findings may provide evidence-based guidance for improving instructional strategies in engineering and manufacturing course design.