Teaching and Assessing CAD using online Demonstrations

A wide range of differences in student learning styles and computing abilities can make the teaching of Computer Aided Design (CAD) notoriously challenging. This study evaluates a novel approach to teaching and assessing CAD using video and Camtasia Studio 5 to capture working demonstrations of Rhinoceros 3.0 and Solidworks 2007 3D modelling. The approach also introduced a novel method of assessment of CAD knowledge, whereby students themselves generate an online demonstration, talking through their approaches and techniques to develop a CAD model of their own. The rationale was to present a clear means of assessing student understanding, to encourage the students to apply their skills to their own design work and to create a community of learning where students share ideas, tips, and experiences and can learn from each other. Students responded well to the relaxed nature of the tutor demonstrations, accepting reasonable mistakes and appreciating the ability to be creative in their own work. This helped to overcome the initial fear of a live recording. The communal learning approach also provided a means to improve students’ attention to detail and their critical evaluation of different modelling approaches.