A Comparison Of Solid Modeling Curriculum Approaches

Many schools have recently introduced solid modeling to their curricula in Engineering Design Graphics. Some courses introduce solid modeling at the end of a traditional 2D CAD course, whereas others begin with the solid model. Some, but not all, of the concepts traditionally taught in conventional drafting or CAD courses are necessary to the development of solid models, and additional concepts are needed which are unique to solid modeling but unnecessary in conventional CAD. It is hypothesized or assumed by many that the use of solid modeling will enhance students’ visualization skills. If this is so, then which topics should be presented to the students first in order to enhance their learning and improve visualization skills? This has been the subject of much debate within the EDG community. This study looks at the development of a solid modeling based CAD course and compares the outcomes derived from varying the order of presentation of the content.