Investigating Students’ Development of Computer-Aided Design Self-Efficacy: An Analysis of Pre-Course CAD Exposure

Samantha Butt; Elizabeth DaMaren; Alison Olechowski

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED) - Research Investigations in the Context of Design Education
Tagged Division: Design in Engineering Education Division (DEED)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47694

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Paper Authors

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Samantha Butt University of Toronto

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Samantha Butt is currently an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto. As part of her undergraduate thesis, her research focuses on prior experiences that contribute to undergraduate students' self-efficacy with utilizing Computer-Aided Design software.

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Elizabeth DaMaren University of Toronto

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Elizabeth DaMaren is a PhD student at the University of Toronto in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering with the Ready Lab. Her research focuses on student engagement and equity considerations in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software education. She previously worked as Project Coordinator for the Engineering Collaboration for Online and Remote Education (E-CORE/CIEL Project), a national Canadian initiative to support instructors in shifting to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Alison Olechowski University of Toronto orcid.org/0000-0001-5557-654X

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Alison Olechowski is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice. She completed her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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Abstract

With the increasing demand for new and innovative technologies, engineers are called on to be at the forefront of designing new products. As a result, undergraduate engineering programs must equip students with both technical skills and internal beliefs that they are capable of success in the profession post-graduation. For mechanical engineers, knowledge of computer-aided design (CAD) software is an invaluable skill in order to contribute to product development in a wide variety of industries. However, students at the undergraduate level enter university with varying levels of knowledge and beliefs in their capabilities of using CAD software. Therefore, there is currently a lack of research investigating how students develop self-efficacy in relation to CAD prior to their undergraduate degree.

As there currently does not exist a validated scale to measure CAD self-efficacy, in this paper, we explore the related concepts of undergraduate engineering students’ initial 3D Modeling and Engineering Design self-efficacy before formal CAD instruction at the university level. Bandura’s Theory of Self-Efficacy suggests there are four main sources of self-efficacy: mastery experiences, social persuasion, vicarious experiences and physiological states [1]. Therefore, we aim to answer the question: “What prior CAD learning experiences influence undergraduate engineering students’ self-efficacy with 3D Modeling and Engineering Design?” [2]. Adapting validated measurement tools for 3D Modeling and Engineering Design self-efficacy, we surveyed second-year mechanical engineering students to target beginner CAD users regarding their prior instruction and knowledge of CAD as well as their perceived self-efficacy in these areas [3]–[6]. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze various reported levels of pre-course CAD exposure and test if they predict students’ 3D Modeling and Engineering Design self-efficacy [7]. The results indicate that students' use of video tutorials and personal projects to learn CAD software is a significant predictor (p < .01) of their 3D Modeling self-efficacy. Our findings did not discover any of our survey’s forms of CAD exposure to be a significant predictor of Engineering Design self-efficacy.

These research findings provide a deeper understanding of the experiences that assist students in developing self-efficacy and familiarity with technical software in the pre- and early stages of their undergraduate degree [8]. The intention is to inform educators about how they can design an effective CAD curriculum accommodating students of all skill sets and to provide the foundation for developing and validating a CAD self-efficacy scale. Future work will focus on the implications of blended and project-based learning settings on students’ development of 3D Modeling self-efficacy based on the post-course survey. As a result of this research, students will be able to maximize their learning and become better prepared for upper-year undergraduate studies and their careers in industry as mechanical design engineers [8].

Citation
Format

Butt, S., & DaMaren, E., & Olechowski, A. (2024, June), Investigating Students’ Development of Computer-Aided Design Self-Efficacy: An Analysis of Pre-Course CAD Exposure Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47694

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - With the increasing demand for new and innovative technologies, engineers are called on to be at the forefront of designing new products. As a result, undergraduate engineering programs must equip students with both technical skills and internal beliefs that they are capable of success in the profession post-graduation. For mechanical engineers, knowledge of computer-aided design (CAD) software is an invaluable skill in order to contribute to product development in a wide variety of industries. However, students at the undergraduate level enter university with varying levels of knowledge and beliefs in their capabilities of using CAD software. Therefore, there is currently a lack of research investigating how students develop self-efficacy in relation to CAD prior to their undergraduate degree.

As there currently does not exist a validated scale to measure CAD self-efficacy, in this paper, we explore the related concepts of undergraduate engineering students’ initial 3D Modeling and Engineering Design self-efficacy before formal CAD instruction at the university level. Bandura’s Theory of Self-Efficacy suggests there are four main sources of self-efficacy: mastery experiences, social persuasion, vicarious experiences and physiological states [1]. Therefore, we aim to answer the question: “What prior CAD learning experiences influence undergraduate engineering students’ self-efficacy with 3D Modeling and Engineering Design?” [2]. Adapting validated measurement tools for 3D Modeling and Engineering Design self-efficacy, we surveyed second-year mechanical engineering students to target beginner CAD users regarding their prior instruction and knowledge of CAD as well as their perceived self-efficacy in these areas [3]–[6].
Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze various reported levels of pre-course CAD exposure and test if they predict students’ 3D Modeling and Engineering Design self-efficacy [7]. The results indicate that students&#39; use of video tutorials and personal projects to learn CAD software is a significant predictor (p &amp;lt; .01) of their 3D Modeling self-efficacy. Our findings did not discover any of our survey’s forms of CAD exposure to be a significant predictor of Engineering Design self-efficacy. 

These research findings provide a deeper understanding of the experiences that assist students in developing self-efficacy and familiarity with technical software in the pre- and early stages of their undergraduate degree [8]. The intention is to inform educators about how they can design an effective CAD curriculum accommodating students of all skill sets and to provide the foundation for developing and validating a CAD self-efficacy scale. Future work will focus on the implications of blended and project-based learning settings on students’ development of 3D Modeling self-efficacy based on the post-course survey. As a result of this research, students will be able to maximize their learning and become better prepared for upper-year undergraduate studies and their careers in industry as mechanical design engineers [8].

AU  - Samantha Butt
AU  - Elizabeth DaMaren
AU  - Alison Olechowski
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Investigating Students’ Development of Computer-Aided Design Self-Efficacy: An Analysis of Pre-Course CAD Exposure
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47694
ER  -