Drafters must be detail-oriented people. The objects they draw are interpreted and then built with the extreme precision required by today's manufacturers. Now that computer-aided drafting (CAD) has taken over the drafting profession, anything less than exact precision is unacceptable. In her drafting classes, the author expects her students to…

This article showcases August's School Web Site of the Month, http://magnoliaisdcommunities.org/communities/bschuster, which was produced by Bradley H. Schuster (bschuster@magnoliaisd.org) and his students at Magnolia High School, Magnolia, Texas. Schuster teaches architectural drafting and building trades classes at both Magnolia High School and…

These eight units of instruction are the products of a project conducted at Burlington County College in Pemberton, New Jersey, to develop three-dimensional computer graphics units of instruction for use in courses designed to train students in the areas of architectural, civil, drafting and design, and electronics technology. Addressed in the…

The Aerodynamics Wing Curriculum is a high school program that combines basic physics, aerodynamics, pre-engineering, 3D visualization, computer-assisted drafting, computer-assisted manufacturing, production, reengineering, and success in a 15-hour, 3-week classroom module. (JOW)

It has been suggested there is a knowledge base that surrounds the use of 3D modeling within the engineering design process and correspondingly within engineering design graphics education. While solid modeling receives a great deal of attention and discussion relative to curriculum efforts, and rightly so, surface modeling is an equally viable 3D…

The scale of the mechanical and plumbing systems required to support a large, multi-building academic health sciences/research center entails a lot of ductwork. Getting mechanical systems installed and running while carrying out activities from other building disciplines requires a great deal of coordinated effort. A university and its…

Includes "CAD [Computer Assisted Design] Standards in the States--A Survey" (Robert E. Hamblett, Jr.) and "Beyond CAD--What's Next?" (Richard W. Carter, Kevin Hall). (JOW)

Business professors in the twenty-first century have been engaging in another form of problem-based pedagogy to unite business school and business practice. This teaching methodology, called "active learning," has become the new case method in college courses. Like the case-based approach, active learning bridges the gap between theory and…

Outlines some issues in number programing with three- to five-year-old Down's syndrome children as it has developed over the last three years. (MP)

Describes a project for the creation of an indexing system for architectural drawings that will allow integration of bibliographic and intellectual access to the collection using an existing online library information network. The discussion covers the influence of archival, curatorial, and library traditions on the project. (11 references) (CLB)

A group of high school students created a drawing of a circle using a device called the Drawing Machine. To describe their experiences, we propose an alternative to the idea that to master a tool one must create a mental version of the tool. We suggest, instead, that as students change their relationships to a tool over time, their lived-in spaces…

Describes a specific senior design course and its objectives. Explains the basic deficiencies and problems for design education in agricultural engineering. Also stresses the effect the project advisor has on students' attitudes toward design and the applications of the course. (SMB)

Describes the problems encountered in the design and implementation of a complete, computerized retrieval system for the engineering and architectural drawings of several large Southern California land development firms: developing a specialized cataloging system and format, a customized thesaurus, computer software, and managerial procedures. The…

The "attractor magnet" curricula in the Interdisciplinary Program at Suncoast Community High School (Florida) include drafting, technology, engineering technology, and communications technology. As an alternative to comprehensive high schools, it provides challenging college-prep programs to a diverse population. (JOW)

This article examines images of the future as visualized by space artists and design engineers. In excerpts from interviews, the artists describe their activities and their use of computer-aided design. The article concludes that visual thinking plays a large part in translating the dreams of visionaries into reality. (JDD)