How to teach CAD/CAE systems

Abstract

In the traditional methodology of CAD system teaching, one starts with the acquisition of technical drawing principles and design of technical schemes and drawings based on manual drawing. Only subsequently do students learn to draw schemes and technical drawings using one of the CAD systems. An alternative possibility in teaching CAD/CAE could be to start immediately with machine element draughts and modelling and to pay only marginal attention to the teaching of technical drawing, in a reduced time frame. A key question related to the authors' proposed method of teaching CAD/CAE is whether a reduction in technical drawing teaching will have a negative impact on student attainment. An answer to this question shall be derived from a pedagogical experiment which the authors intend to carry out, the methodology of which is presented in the paper.