The efficiency and popularity of computer-aided design (CAD) packages have been continually improving over the past couple of decades. Most of the graduating engineers are proficient in their use and prefer using CAD models instead of simple freehand sketches to communicate their ideas. While these CAD models can enable better visualization of the…

In spring 2020, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic forced universities across the globe to move all teaching from in person to online. This pivot led to instructors needing to support students who became dispersed all over the world with little time to prepare. Whilst online teaching is not a new concept, there is relatively little literature…

For the last decade, remedial spatial visualization training has been offered to first-year engineering students in traditional classroom settings where students attend class and interact face-to-face with an instructor and peers. An alternative to the traditional pedagogical approach is a multi-modal blended learning format that combines in-class…

Students who successfully pass professional certification exams while in school are often targeted first by industry for internships and entry level positions. Over the last decade, leading industry suppliers of computer-aided design (CAD) software have developed and launched certification exams for many of their product offerings. Some have also…

Binkley et al. (2012) contends that the economy and workplace for the 21st Century will not lie in the routine tasks of the past, instead emphasis will be put on the ability of students to communicate, share and use information to solve increasingly complex problems. This is especially true of individuals who chose to pursue careers in the…

Industrial Designers need to understand and command a number of modelling techniques to communicate their ideas to themselves and others. Verbal explanations, sketches, engineering drawings, computer aided design (CAD) models and physical prototypes are the most commonly used communication techniques. Within design, unlike some disciplines,…

Spatial abilities have been used as a predictor of success in several engineering and technology disciplines (Strong & Smith, 2001). In engineering graphics courses, scores on spatial tests have also been used to predict success (Adanez & Velasco, 2002; Leopold, Gorska, & Sorby, 2001). Other studies have shown that some type of…

Engineering graphics has historically been viewed as a challenging course to teach as students struggle to grasp and understand the fundamental concepts and then to master their proper application. The emergence of stable, fast, affordable 3D parametric modeling platforms such as CATIA, Pro-E, and AutoCAD while providing several pedagogical…

Engineering Graphics curricula have changed dramatically in the past three decades. In the past, students in nearly all engineering disciplines were instructed in manual drafting and descriptive geometry. Students spent many hours "on the board", and this training enhanced the students' graphics communication, design and visualization…

By supplying various combinations of advanced instructions and different forms of exercises individual learning processes within the impartation of basic knowledge can be activated and supported at best. The fundamentals of our class "Introduction to spatial-geometric cognition using CAD" are constructional inputs, which systematically induce the…

Spatial ability, which is positively correlated with retention and achievement in engineering, mathematics, and science disciplines, has been shown to improve over the course of a Computer-Aided Design course or through targeted training. However, which type of training provides the most beneficial improvements to spatial ability and whether other…

This paper outlines past and present issues related to product data management (PDM) technologies and their implementation within organization. Included are the results from interviews with representatives from ten companies regarding their implementation processes related to PDM and PLM technologies. Results from these interviews are detailed in…

Several methods have been developed, presented, and discussed at recent ASEE and EDGD conferences on the topic of computer-based multiview drawing instruction. While small-scale and localized testing of these instruments and methods has been undertaken, no larger-scale or multi-location experiments have been attempted. This paper describes an…

Reports on the development of a new CAD/CAM laboratory experience for an Engineering Design Graphics (EDG) course. The EDG curriculum included freehand sketching, introduction to Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD), and emphasized 3-D solid modeling. Reviews the project and reports on the testing of the new laboratory components which were…

In this paper, results from a subset of the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test and a self-efficacy test developed by the authors are presented to determine whether certain object shapes, orientations, and types of rotations in standard spatial ability tests cause more difficulty than others and whether a solid object, which includes shading to…