Spatial Visualization by Realistic 3D Views

A new engineering graphics course teaching mode which aims for training spatial configuration ability using 3-D CAD software is presented in this paper. Through this teaching mode, the student’s spatial orientation and spatial visualization are enhanced and extended, and the ability for innovative design can be cultivated. The training for spatial configuration ability consists of three main methods: basic solid body design, extension model design and special topic design. The basic solid body design can help the students to understand various basic geometric elements and their positions directly on a virtual solid body. The extension model design is useful for divergent thinking training. The special topic design is helpful for creative and innovative thinking. After training for a semester in engineering graphics course, the spatial configuration ability for mechanical engineering student is enhanced obviously, and this ability make them more creative for subsequent professional curriculum and actual production manufacture.

Through the introduction of Problem Based Learning (PBL) teaching method in the teaching session of engineering graphics courses, the path of implementation of PBL teaching method integrated with computer 3-D modeling in engineering graphics courses is discussed. The practice applications show that this teaching mode can help students master the knowledge points of engineering graphics courses, help teachers change the traditional teaching style, improve the teaching quality of engineering graphics courses, help students develop spatial image thinking ability and stimulate learning interest and innovative thinking. Compared with traditional classroom teaching, the teaching methods and teaching models studied in this article have obvious advantages in the implementation of such courses. They are also an important direction for the teaching reform of computer-aided engineering graphics courses in the future. Construction and development have good reference significance.

This paper presents the implementation of Project Based Learning for diploma First year Mechanical Engineering students for Engineering Graphics course. Engineering Graphics course is an important basic communication tool of engineers. The concepts of graphical language are used in expressing the ideas, conveying the instructions, which are used in carrying out the jobs on the sites, shop floor. It is expected that the students should develop the idea of visualizing the actual object or part on the basis of drawings and blue prints. Traditional learning styles in classroom education are questionable and lacking in providing the necessary tools needed by the students to meet ever growing demands of industries. This paper aims to demonstrate improved student learning outcomes and increased student participation using active learning tools. The performance of the students of two consecutive batches is compared where for one batch this technique is not used and for other the technique is implemented. This consideration concludes that project-based learning is the best way to fulfil industry needs and it will facilitate students to innovatively and creatively transfer their knowledge to the real world situation.

Spatial visualization skills are crucial in engineering fields and are required to support the spatial abilities of engineering students. Instructors in engineering colleges indicated that freshmen students faced difficulties when visualizing models in engineering graphics. Students cannot correctly understand and process visual object and mental images of the engineering models. Traditional tools using textbooks, physical models, and modeling techniques is not sufficient for improving the spatial visualization skills of engineering students. This paper is a survey of all techniques used to learn freshmen students in engineering graphics and improve their spatial visualization skills. Also, it presents the method of evaluation the spatial visualization skills. After describing techniques and presented the literature review, this work presents a comparison between methodologies and techniques used in previous studies. Finally, we summarize a road of the map for the techniques and strategies to improve the spatial visualization skills for freshmen engineering students.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the use of SolidProfessor in an Engineering Graphics course at Georgia Southern University.SolidProfessor is an online resource with built-in video tutorials and lessons for engineering training with an emphasis on CAD courses.Instructors can use prebuilt lesson plans, customize lesson plans or create their own lesson plans.The lesson plans include a baseline test and a review test.

The 1990’s have seen a rapid expansion of the use of networked computers on college and university campuses. By the Fall of 1995, half of all college students and faculty had recurring instructional experience with information technology while more than half of all college students and three-fourths of faculty had access to the Internet and WWW. This infusion of computer technology has had a significant impact on how and what students are taught in engineering design graphics. Though the establishment of computer labs on campuses has hit near saturation, instructional issues concerning the use of computers in engineering graphics are still evolving. As more and more instructional activity takes place outside of traditional labs via distance education technologies, what access students have to computing resources at their homes or dorms and what computer skills they possess to use these computer-based tools becomes increasingly important. Instruction taking place outside of traditional computer labs provides fewer opportunities for instructors to provide remediation in computer skills. This paper will report on a survey of students enrolled in engineering design graphics courses at NC State University the Fall 1999 semester. The results of this survey provides a snapshot of how prepared students currently are to make use of computer-based instruction within and outside of traditional labs. I. Introduction The instruction of engineering design graphics has always been closely linked to technology. Whereas the technology used to be based on manual instruments such as compasses, T-squares, and triangles, in more recent years the tool of choice has been computer-based CAD systems. What has not changed at many institutions has been the centering of the engineering design graphics curriculum around the on-campus laboratory. While the focus of the lab has shifted from instruction in manual instruments to computer-based CAD software, pedagogically the strategy has continued to be one-on-one interaction in a laboratory environment between an instructor/tutor and the student. With the rapid expansion of networked computer technology on and off campus and the instituting of distance education courses, the question arises how this lab-based model will evolve and whether our student body is prepared for a possible move away from the current oneon-one instruction they are receiving. This article outlines current trends in campus computing, the current state of computer literacy of students taking engineering graphics courses, and curricular issues impacted by these findings.

Evaluation of the Engineering Graphics Course Outcomes using Multi-Choice Questions

Abstract: All new students at the University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, take an Engineering Graphics course in the first semester. The subject is divided into two sections: Technical Drawing and Descriptive Geometry. To teach lectures, professors use didactic equipment such as LCD projectors and drawing on the table. Assistants demonstrate exercises by drawing mechanical parts in the table. In 2014, teachers began using digital presentations with animations in their lectures. They contain developed presentations using PowerPoint software with stepby- step animations of mechanical parts. The paper examines the effectiveness of this methodology from both the student and teacher perspectives. The study is based on a survey of students, teachers’ experiences, and a comparison of exam results. The analysis discusses the methodology's effectiveness, presentation quality, knowledge gained, ease of learning, impact on exam pass rate, and other benefits.The following are some key findings from this paper: students accept and favor this teaching methodology; it is more effective than hand drawing; it has a significant impact on exam pass rates; and it is simple to understand the lectures. Teachers like this methodology because it allows for step-by-step explanation with animations; repeating options; presentations are created only once, easy corrections, developing many examples of mechanical parts with less effort, and students can easily access them. The paper contributes to a new teaching methodology for students in their first year of Engineering studies, Bachelor level, in the subject of Engineering Graphics. Keywords: Engineering graphics, Teaching methodology, Digital presentations, Animations, Higher education, Teaching survey.

The thesis provides a general thinking of offering engineering graphics course by analyzing the characteristics of Industrial Engineering subject: 1) Graphics courses ought to be standard into “engineering graphics” or “engineering drawing”; 2) Standard teaching material should be made. State Ministry of Education or universities may organize experts to compile a standard teaching material considering IE characteristics, necessary class hours being flexible for various schools. CAD or CPD materials can also be compiled or adapted from available resources; 3) Shortness of Qualified Teachers; 4) Considering the present shortage of the teachers that have overall knowledge about mechanics, civil construction and electric graphics, relevant factories and companies may develop multimedia courseware that integrates the above-mentioned knowledge and supply them for teaching use; 5) School hours of the course can be increased reasonably. The school hours needed in CAD could be involved. Two teaching materials, of engineering graphics and CAD, may be adopted. It is the best for one teacher to carry out the course. Well, two teachers are acceptable if situation doesn't permit.

In the face of the requirement for professional skills in modern design processes such as mass customization and digital design techniques, our teaching of engineering graphics to engineering student needs to adapt. This paper proposes a new curriculum for an engineering graphics course, which combines traditional engineering graphics with modern digital design technologies. The paper highlights the need for training in innovative design, team cooperation and graphical communication.

This research investigates the effectiveness of Simulation-Based Learning (SBL) in enhancing student comprehension of complex mechanical engineering concepts, such as fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, FEA, and mechanics. The integration of tools like MATLAB, SolidWorks, ANSYS Fluent, AutoCAD, FluidSim, BricsCAD, and GeoGebra allows students to simulate theoretical mechanics and engineering graphics, bridging the gap between theory and practice. Additionally, Machine Learning playgrounds offer hands-on AI experience. A key novelty is the development of an Automatic Engineering Drawing Sheet Evaluation Algorithm, utilizing Python-based image processing to automate the assessment of technical drawings, increasing efficiency and accuracy. GeoGebra further serves as a tool for assessing geometric transformations in engineering graphics. Integrating simulation tools into the first-year Engineering Graphics course has significantly enhanced Course Outcomes (CO) and Program Outcomes (PO), particularly PO5 (Modern Tool Usage), with a 94.29% improvement. Tools like AutoCAD and GeoGebra have enhanced student understanding of Orthographic Projections and Isometric Views, reflected in improved test scores and positive feedback. Case studies showcase how these tools align with various POs, highlighting the critical role of SBL in modern mechanical engineering education

A virtual environment was developed for PC and Android to be used with a desktop display and the Gear VR, respectively. The goal with it is to measure and enhance the spatial skills of people, because the latter can be achieved by solving simple geometric problems. Originally, this virtual environment consisted only of three such tests, namely the Mental Rotation Test, Mental Cutting Test and Purdue Spatial Visualization Test. Measurements were done in the past with these tests, but now the Heinrich Spatial Visualization Test is also included in the virtual environment. In this paper, its implementation and future measurement plan are presented.

BackgroundA redesigned curriculum for teaching engineering graphics was adopted in an introductory mechanical engineering course. The rollout of this curriculum was staggered, allowing for comparisons of student perceptions across the newly revised and previous instructional approaches. The new curriculum borrows from content and pedagogy traditionally employed in industrial design courses. The discipline-based education research (DBER) framework was used to investigate the manner in which the new curriculum was implemented and student reactions to this change. By using this approach, the researchers were able to incorporate and emphasize the unique aspects of the subject matter itself, as well as the attributes of the engineering discipline in which the course was embedded.ResultsResults indicated that students exhibited positive reactions to the sketching instruction, as well as various other aspects of the course, and that reactions were generally more positive among students in the redesigned course.ConclusionsThe contributions of this paper are twofold: illustrating the application of a specific research framework and providing results of an investigation of a redesigned curriculum. The redesigned curriculum was generally received well by students, and the partnership between the education researchers and faculty proved fruitful in allowing for nuanced investigation of the course redesign. Practical considerations for undertaking this type of research are also outlined.

Part of a more extensive National Science Foundation-funded study, this study presents the findings and analysis of the effect on three-dimensional modeling self-efficacy (3DSE) by the inclusion of online active learning modules (ALM). Using multiple datasets, we found that the use of ALM in an introductory engineering graphics course, closed a gap in 3DSE scores between majority and minority students, populations historically underrepresented in engineering. Although limited to a single university, the results support that the inclusion of active online learning may address an important construct known to be a factor in academic success and persistence in engineering.

Relationship Between Students’ Spatial Visualization Ability and their Ability to Create 3D Constraint- Based Models from Various Types of DrawingsEngineering graphics educators have been studying the constraint-based modeling strategies ofstudents for approximately 20 years. These studies include students’ modeling strategies,methods of evaluating models, and conceptual framework research. A recent series of studiesinvestigated students’ ability to model parts when given assembly drawing information. Theseinvestigations revealed that the developed modeling test had mixed results when examiningrelationships with measures in the course (e.g., final project and final exam). These studies alsoexamined whether students’ modeling ability was related to their spatial visualization ability.There were positive correlations between the PSVT:R and the modeling test (not all weresignificant) and significant positive correlations between the MCT and the modeling test.Recommendations included repeating the study using a shorter modeling activity, examining amore efficient way of evaluating the models, and conducting qualitative methods for evaluatingstudent modeling strategies.During the fall of 2013, a study was conducted where students completed the PSVT:R and theMCT and then were asked to complete three different modeling tasks. These tasks includedmodeling a part when given an isometric pictorial of the object, modeling a part when given theobject in the context of an assembly drawing, and finally modeling a part when given a detaildrawing of the object. Research questions for this study include the following: Does a simplerrubric provide similar scores as the previous rubric? Is there a relationship between a student’sspatial visualization ability and their ability to model a part from a pictorial, assembly drawing ordetail drawing? Is the MCT still a better predictor of a student’s modeling success than thePSVT:R? This paper will report the results of this study as well as give recommendations forfuture research.