Results from a number of studies indicate that the use of drafting models can positively influence the spatial visualization ability for engineering technology students. However, additional variables such as light, temperature, motion and color can play an important role but research provides inconsistent results. Considering this, a set of 5…

The benefit of using static versus dynamic visualizations is a controversial one. Few studies have explored the effectiveness of static visualizations to those of dynamic visualizations, and the current state of the literature remains somewhat unclear. During the last decade there has been a lengthy debate about the opportunities for using…

Background: A 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…

Critical Thinking Disposition is known as an important factor that drives a student to use Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in order to solve engineering drawing problems. Infusing them while teaching the subject may enhance students' disposition and higher order thinking skills. However, no research has been done in critical thinking…

First-year engineering (FYE) students are routinely screened for spatial ability, with the goals of predicting retention in the major and identifying those who need supplementary spatial instruction. Psychometric tests used for such screenings are often domain-general measures that lack diagnostic information to inform remedial instruction. A new…

Smartphones used as tools provide opportunities for the teaching of the concepts of accuracy and precision and the mathematical concept of arctan. The accuracy and precision of a trigonometric experiment using entirely mechanical tools is compared to one using electronic tools, such as a smartphone clinometer application and a laser pointer. This…

The ability to rotate visual mental images is a complex cognitive skill. It requires the building of graphical libraries of information through short or long term memory systems and the subsequent retrieval and manipulation of these towards a specified goal. The development of mental rotation skill is of critical importance within engineering…

Freehand sketching is one of the most important and commonly used methods of generating and sharing budding ideas during the conceptual development portion of the preliminary phase of design. To develop one's skills, prolonged practice, acquiring instant feedback and suggestions while practicing are invaluable. The two key and indispensable parts…

Drawing by learners can be an effective way to develop memory and generate visual models for higher-order skills in biology, but students are often reluctant to adopt drawing as a study method. We designed a nonclassroom intervention that instructed introductory biology college students in a drawing method, minute sketches in folded lists (MSFL),…

This study project titled Improving Technical Drawing Software Skills of Vocational Education Training (VET) Teachers (TED-VET) sought to organize trainings to introduce Adobe Illustrator as a technical drawing software to technical VET teachers and determine the effect of these trainings on teacher effectiveness. Additional goals included…

Most technology and engineering (T&E) classes are elective, so teachers are always looking for ways to market programs, engage students, and remind administrators and school board members about the good things T&E teachers do with and for kids. In this article, the Unionville High School (PA) Technology and Engineering Department describes…

While the changing nature of design activity is a topic supported by a range of popular and academic publications, the role that design tools have taken in that change is less well studied. The tools used in the trade, both by industrial designers and mechanical engineers, have undergone a rapid transformation in the last fifty years. The research…

In our digital age of information acquisition, multimedia information streams are constant, constantly changing and often contain multiple messages about topics important to everyday life, such as energy geographies. Recognizing that college students are prime consumers of digital information, it seems that crafting of academic engagement for and…

Problem Statement: Drafting course is essential for students in the design disciplines for becoming more organized and for complying with standards in the educational system. Drafting knowledge is crucial, both for comprehension of the issues and for the implementation phase. In any design project, drafting performance and success are as important…

Engineering design is known as an answer to an ill-defined problem. As any answer to an ill-defined problem, it can never be completely right or absolutely wrong. The methods that universities use to teach engineering design, as a consequence of this, suffer from the same fate. However, the accumulated experience with the "chalk and…