Using computer graphics as a tool to teach beginning engineering design graphics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a combination of traditional manual drawing and user-oriented interactive computer graphics was an efficient method to teach engineering graphics and serve as an introduction to computer graphics for first semester engineering graphics students. Five topics of instruction selected to implement this research were bargraph, breakeven graph, orthographic projection, isometrics, and obliques. On each separate topic, an entire engineering graphics class was given the same lecture and then drew the first assignment on that topic using traditional manual drawing methods. For a subsequent drawing on each topic, a control group made the drawing through manual methods. Concurrently, a treatment group made a similar drawing using computer graphics that required no programming. The treatment was evaluated by analysis of variance on three major measurements. On five separate weekly quizzes, there was no practical difference between the groups. The pre-post test scores on the departmental comprehensive examination showed a significant interaction in favor of the treatment group. Although the primary purpose of this study was not to teach computer graphics but rather to use computer graphics as a teaching tool, students were tested to determine if they meanwhile had increased their knowledge and improved their attitude toward using computer graphics. As expected, the treatment group did learn additional information and did improve their attitude toward using computer graphics while performing as well as the manual group on short-term weekly quizzes and better on the long term examination. The computer graphics group accomplished this while requiring far less time (5 minutes versus 42 minutes) to solve the same engineering graphics problems...