Old Dominion University Develops MAESTRA AI Tutor for Engineering With $400,000 NSF Grant

Gon Namkoong and Jiang Li, professors in electrical and computer engineering at Old Dominion University, are developing an AI tutoring system called MAESTRA with a $400,000 National Science Foundation grant. The system combines interactive simulations and guided questions to help students understand engineering concepts such as Poisson's equation rather than only memorizing formulas. Tian Luo of the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies will lead the evaluation, and the team plans to introduce MAESTRA in two electrical and computer engineering courses in Spring 2027, starting with semiconductor modules.

The project shows an AI tutoring system entering core engineering courses, backed by an NSF grant, a named evaluation lead and a course implementation timeline, making it a verifiable teaching research effort. Its impact centers on how engineering concepts are understood and on the information instructors gain about where student reasoning breaks down. The limitation is that the system is still in development, will not enter courses until Spring 2027, and the source provides no learning outcome data. Engineering students can combine simulations with questioning to understand abstract equations rather than only practicing formula solving. Instructors can receive information about student difficulties, assessment performance and simulation interactions to supplement classroom feedback.