CAREER: Improved Models for Spatial Skills Learning through a Multi-Case Study of Computer-Aided Design Education

About This Grant

Computer-aided design (CAD) is a key component of engineering education and practice. Computer-aided design software is used to create digital 2D drawings and 3D models which are used across all phases of the design process for visualization, simulation, analysis, and production in various engineering disciplines, architecture, animation, and more. Since CAD is increasingly being incorporated into high school and undergraduate engineering education, improving CAD education has the potential to transform learning for hundreds of thousands of students. While computer-aided design technology is ever-growing in its importance, updates to CAD education are not keeping pace. Most research related to CAD education focuses on spatial skills, or the 3D thinking skills required to envision 3D designs. There are however problems with traditional assessments of spatial skills, causing many of these assessments to be inaccurate. Moreover, other factors besides spatial skills influence CAD learning, yet little research investigates these other aspects of students’ experience with CAD training. Because the spatial skills paradigm may not be as important to CAD learning as we once thought, studying alternate the pathways is important to ensure a well-prepared engineering workforce. This research will use a multi-case study and media analysis to develop a comprehensive picture of the CAD learning ecosystem, triangulating data from a broad range of sources including CAD classrooms, student clubs which use CAD, professional engineers who use CAD, and CAD media that is widely used for self-study in informal learning settings, such as YouTube tutorials. Through the multi-case analysis, the research team will construct a map of the ecosystem in which people gain CAD expertise and identify non-spatial factors which contribute to participation in the CAD workforce. The educational plan for this project will focus first and foremost on sharing the research findings with CAD educators and students through a guidebook that uses visual storytelling to bring the case studies to life. The educational plan will also strengthen the CAD courses offered in the PI’s institution by incorporating human-centered design for healthcare, connecting CAD with engineering work that has a direct impact on people and connecting the PI’s professional experience in medical device design to the PI’s teaching. This research answers the call to look for counter theories that challenge deficit models by placing a focus on structural issues within the educational ecosystem instead of deficiencies within students. Additionally, this research will enhance our understanding of how informal learning and online media contribute to engineering workforce preparation and participation. This project will contribute to NSF’s goal of improving engineering education. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.