The ever-growing energy demand and finite fossil fuel reserves have accelerated interest in renewable energy sources and efficient energy conversion devices. In particular, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell is a commercially viable type of fuel cell due to a relatively low operation temperature and dynamic load response. However, their Nafion membranes are not ideal candidates for future electrochemical energy storage and conversion due to high financial cost . Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising low-cost material for future fuel cell membranes and other proton conducting applications. The fabrication of fuel cells that utilise GO membranes with well-aligned laminar interlayer channels and oxygen bearing groups is imminent . In this work, the importance of the explicit instruction pedagogy and the learning outcomes from novel fuel cells is investigated. This is important because educators have observed that student understanding of electrochemical concepts is insufficient for connections to further concepts and for generating new knowledge in scientific problem-solving . Fuel cell engineering exemplifies electrochemistry as a platform for teaching a variety of interdisciplinary concepts while mitigating common misconceptions related to potentials . Moreover, the emergence of the three-phase boundary (3PB) concept and associated models (Supplementary Note 2) have proven to be phenomenological concepts for advancing the design and fabrication of fuel cell electrodes.