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Teaching Part Visualization in First-Year Engineering Courses: Methodology for Part Visualization Problem Solving

Abstract

Part visualization is a fundamental skill in engineering. It refers to reading and understanding any technical drawing, interpreting different views of an object/assembly which has been represented on a standardized drawing. However, engineering students show certain learning difficulties and a high failure rate in subjects such as Technical Drawing and Design. The main aim of this study is to introduce a new teaching strategy for part visualization.

A problem solving model for visualization has first been designed for all kind of industrial objects (Methodology for Part Visualization Problem Solving) with a constructivism view. Teaching strategies may then be applied by drawing up a programme of specific tasks which takes into account the theoretical contents and procedures involved in part visualization and students’ main difficulties and deficiencies when solving this kind of problem. ICTs (Information and Communication Technology) and real models have been used in classroom to help the students link the 2D drawing with the 3D object/assembly.

After testing the method in the classroom, the results which have been obtained from experimental and control groups test have been contrasted, showing an important improvement (fewer drop-outs and a higher percentage of students who have passed the course).

In terms of comprehension of part visualization, the percentage of students who have passed the specified exams has been higher than the control group and the average grade has been higher as well. It is worth noting that every student has an improvement of 10% on their grade in the comparisons made between the first visualization quizzes and last ones completed in the first trimester.

These positive but not statistically significant results encourage us to keep improving the teaching-learning process of the part visualization.

This study has been done in the first course of Industrial Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering of Bilbao in the The University of the Basque Country. The subjects of the study have been selected randomly and the students do not know that they have been part of a study.

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Sierra Uria, E., & Garmendia Mujika, M. (2008, June), Teaching Part Visualization In First Year Engineering Courses: General Scheme For Part Visualization Problem Solving Paper presented at 2008 Annual Conference & Exposition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 10.18260/1-2--3131