Although the latest digital technologies, including augmented reality, digital twins and generative AI, are used in industrial tasks and cutting-edge research, reliable and responsible engineering work requires an understanding of, and realistic perception of, the phenomena of the physical world. Engineering science and practice are grounded in an understanding of natural processes, phenomena and laws. To achieve this, it is necessary to experience and clearly understand a range of fundamental concepts and relationships.

As mathematical and engineering software, and increasingly AI-based tools, take over time-consuming and less creative aspects of engineering work, the focus may shift from executing routine steps to analysing, evaluating and controlling them. However, this assumes that the human in the loop has the necessary knowledge to make correct judgements about the solutions or decisions provided by the software.

Efficient engineering work requires an understanding of the problem to be solved, knowledge of adequate problem-solving tools and the capability to assess the completeness of the answer (i.e. understanding the criteria for a complete solution and what constitutes a solved engineering problem).  The first of these requires adequate conceptual images and real-life experience (e.g. hands-on manipulation of real objects), while the third requires critical thinking above all else. Clearly, the success of engineering students largely depends on the competencies they acquire through public education and real-life experience.

Engineering education must remain conservative in its approach, encouraging a realistic view of things and common sense, while acknowledging the increasingly important role of virtual reality in shaping the experiences and consequently the attitudes of young people.

The problems with students' preparedness for engineering education, particularly with regard to mathematics and science, are well-known and widely studied. Our experience shows that another type of deficiency in students' preparedness for engineering education remains hidden and can significantly hinder the understanding of technical concepts, laws and explanations.

Modern information technology provides young people with an increasingly interesting and exciting virtual alternative to the real world. It is a well-known social issue that young people's personal and professional decisions are often based on virtual rather than real-life experiences. Meanwhile, there is a growing need for human control over software-generated solutions and processes in technical and economic processes.

For those who rarely experience physical reality and live in a virtual world, it can be difficult to judge situations that were once obvious to everyone. Playing with a seesaw or wheelbarrow, lifting objects, or wrestling can help children understand the physical laws related to one- and two-armed levers. However, a lack of this type of experience can lead to misconceptions. In one educational experiment, for example, some students thought that a mass on the platform of a wheelbarrow would be easier to hold if it was placed closer to the person holding the wheelbarrow than to the wheel's shaft.

A lack of real-world experience raises questions such as, 'What control can people who have grown up in a digital environment have over physical systems?' Based on their experience, educators teaching core engineering knowledge often assume a certain level of experience and understanding of real-world phenomena, and are reluctant to address these fundamental elements of knowledge. Meanwhile, they complain that many students do not understand their explanations, which include 'obvious' things.

To gain a realistic understanding, the real-world experience of freshers needs to be assessed. This requires knowledge of the fundamentals of engineering principles, as well as a suitable assessment method. However, identifying the fundamental set of required concepts and experiences is difficult given the diversity of the items and their various domains of origin.