Today, 3D computer-assisted design (3D CAD) software is widely used in the manufacturing of industrial products, and has become a required skill for people working in manufacturing-related fields. In Germany, Hartmut Esslinger included 3D CAD in the Digital Bauhaus industrial design curriculum that he proposed in 1990. By studying the learning models that industrial design students employ when learning 3D CAD, and by establishing suitable evaluation methods, it should be possible to achieve an improvement in 3D CAD training efficiency. The conclusions reached in the present study, and the recommendations put forward, are as follows:
1. The method of using the number of dimensions to derive a declarative knowledge learning curve that is proposed in this study can be used to measure the impact of procedural knowledge on the learning process. It can be applied to the analysis of both 3D CAD learning that used simple 3D models and learning that employs more complex models, and is thus suitable for the evaluation of both basic- and advanced-level 3D CAD training.
A Study of the Learning Models Employed by Industrial Design Students When Learning to Use 3D
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software
2. By using the measurement techniques outlined above, and applying Wright’s learning curve theory to describe the learning models employed by students when learning 3D CAD, the way in which students’ learning develops over time can be analyzed, thereby making it possible to allocate an appropriate number of teaching hours, ensuring that the teaching is both efficient and cost-effective.
3. The most widely used 3D CAD software programs – all of which are parametric, associative feature-based, solid modeling software programs – are all based on similar modeling principles, so the measurement and evaluation approach proposed in the present study should also be applicable to other software packages (such as Solidworks, Inventor, etc.).
4. The speed at which students majoring in industrial design are able to learn 3D CAD is slower than the speed at which students majoring in engineering learn to use this software. This may be because industrial design students lack knowledge of basic mathematical and engineering concepts. One area for future research would be to analyze their needs in this regard, so as to facilitate the compilation of suitable supplementary teaching materials that could be used to improve students’ learning results.
A Study of the Learning Models Employed by Industrial Design Students When Learning to Use 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software
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