Enhancing graduate engineering education: The development and assessment of interactive web tools for teaching Hertzian contact mechanics and surface fatigue failure

Teaching advanced mechanical design topics such as Hertzian contact mechanics and surface fatigue failure presents notable challenges. The abstract equations and lengthy manual calculations often obscure the physical meaning and hinder students’ understanding. The objective of this study is to design, implement, and evaluate two interactive web-based tools that support the teaching of Hertzian contact mechanics and surface fatigue, with the aim of improving graduate students’ conceptual understanding and design intuition. To address this, two interactive, browser-based tools were developed to enhance a graduate-level Machine Design course. The first, the Comprehensive Hertzian Contact Analysis Platform, is a versatile toolkit for static analysis of spherical, cylindrical, and general contact cases, featuring modules for parametric studies, case comparisons, and stress visualization. The second, the Dynamic Fatigue Life Calculator for Cylindrical Contacts, provides a specialized environment for evaluating fatigue life under rolling and sliding conditions. This paper presents the pedagogical motivation, theoretical foundation, and implementation of both tools. A case study with 35 graduate students demonstrated their effectiveness through a design assignment and survey feedback, revealing improved conceptual understanding, engagement, and time efficiency. The learning outcomes showed direct alignment with ABET performance indicators in problem-solving, design analysis, experimentation, and self-directed learning, illustrating how interactive digital tools can effectively link theory with practice in engineering education.