Fostering Engineering Troubleshooting Proficiency: A Real-World Scenario-Based Electrical Training Hardware Using Embedded System

Contribution: This article proposes the systematic integration of embedded systems into training hardware to bridge the gap in structured troubleshooting education. Traditional methods often rely on manual explanations, virtual simulations, or on-the-job training, which lack structured learning experiences. The proof-of-work module, developed based on the proposed framework, effectively simulates challenging scenarios, providing real-life troubleshooting experiences that significantly increase motivation for further learning. Background: Troubleshooting competence is typically acquired through experiential engagement and unforeseen challenges, rarely structured as a deliberate educational endeavor. Simulating real problematic conditions also poses challenges due to their complexity or potential dangers. Intended Outcome: A framework that facilitates the representation of real-life troubleshooting situations using hardware prototypes with multiple scenarios. A proven implementation, a ship’s electrical earth fault troubleshooting training hardware, exemplifies the utilization of embedded systems using the proposed framework. Application Design: Experiential Learning is commonly used to develop troubleshooting proficiency. Providing deliberate multiple scenarios through training hardware will give much more experience than unforeseen challenges in job training. Findings: The findings demonstrated statistically significant benefits of the new hardware with the embedded system in increasing user interest for further learning and product presentation, with a 95% confidence interval and significant differences adjusted p-values = 0.049. It provides evidence of embedded systems’ effectiveness and suggests their potential applications in engineering education, particularly in the electrical engineering field.