Mechanics is widely considered to be the core of any type of construction engineering course in the world, be it a mechanical, aerospace or naval architecture engineering course. Yet at the same time it also considered by many students as one of the most difficult subjects in the course and something they have great difficulties coming to grips with, as many of us experience on a day-to-day basis. This problem is becoming more and more apparent with the ever-changing focus of high schools. The challenge for Mechanics lecturers is to overcome those shortcomings and to keep students motivated and interested in Mechanics. This paper reports on the introduction of a laboratory exercise in the second year of our BSc curriculum at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanical behavior of structures as well as increasing the student's motivation.
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