Virtual Booth

SPARK (Smart Pressure Active-Learning Research Kit) is an innovative teaching aid developed to enhance students’ understanding of pressure concepts in Fluid Mechanics through hands-on and experiential learning. The innovation addresses current engineering education challenges, including weaker Physics and Mathematics foundations among students following changes in university entry requirements and the learning preferences of Generation Z students who benefit from interactive and visual learning approaches. In the Civil Engineering curriculum at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), ECW231 (Fluid Mechanics) is delivered as a lecture-based course, creating challenges for lecturers to implement the Practice-Oriented Component (POC) effectively. Existing laboratory equipment is often unsuitable for lecture environments due to high cost, limited accessibility, and lack of portability. As a result, students frequently encounter theoretical concepts without immediate practical exposure, affecting their ability to visualise and apply pressure principles. SPARK bridges this gap by enabling lecturers to integrate POC-based activities directly into lecture sessions through a portable, modular, and low-cost teaching tool. The kit incorporates both solid and fluid pressure concepts, including pressure due to force, hydrostatic pressure, Pascal’s law, and pressure distribution, through guided exploration and experimentation. Designed based on constructivist and experiential learning principles, SPARK promotes active learning, improves conceptual understanding, and supports OBE through cognitive and psychomotor development. This innovation empowers educators to deliver practice-oriented learning effectively and has potential application across engineering and science disciplines.