Effects of cognitive styles on 2D drafting and design performance in digital media

This paper investigates the interactions between design students’ cognitive styles, as measured by Riding’s Cognitive Styles Analysis, and performance in 2D drafting and design tasks in digital media. An empirical research revealed that Imager students outperformed Verbalisers in both drafting and creativity scores. Wholist–Analytic cognitive style dimension was found to be independent from drafting and design performance. The study suggests that examining the cognitive styles of students in Computer Aided Design (CAD) education deserves further attention and may facilitate for improvements in learning processes.     

Heuristics and CAD modelling: an examination of student behaviour during problem solving episodes within CAD modelling activities

Design activities typically involve and culminate in the creation of models representative of new ideas and conceptions. The format is often dictated by the specific discipline, with ideas in design and technology education regularly being externalised through the use of computer aided design (CAD). This paper focusses on the realisation stage of a design process, specifically when conceptual ideas are being externalised through CAD. Acknowledging students as novices or quasi-experts with regards to their levels of technical expertise and recognising the limitations in the cognitive capacities of humans suggests merit in investigating problem solving strategies through the lens of heuristics. A comparative study was employed between two distinct CAD systems to examine students modelling behaviour. Considering the situational context of the problems encountered and the bounded rationality which the students are operating within, a number of insights are generated from the findings which are of importance from a pedagogical perspective within design and technology education.     

Design knowledge and teacher–student interactions in an inventive construction task

The teacher plays an important role in the Technology and Design (T&D) classroom in terms of guiding students in their design process. By using concepts developed within engineering philosophy along with a framework for teacher–student interactions the design process in a T&D classroom is classified. The material shows that four of six predefined categories of design knowledge and three of seven predefined classes of activity are present in the material. Findings suggest that two categories of design knowledge, fundamental design concepts and practical considerations, are particularly significant in the students’ work. The teacher’s influence with respect to particularly the first of these categories is crucial for the students’ design process. Direct trial is found as the students’ dominating activity for solving the technological challenges. The results indicate that it is beneficial for students to be introduced to an operational principle before they can be innovative and develop their own design configuration when they establish their fundamental design concept. Curriculum developers, designers of teaching materials as well as teachers should take into account the students’ need of sufficient time to explore their design configuration.     

青少年身体素质敏感期测定及其体育课程设置探析

以河北省学生体质健康测试数据和河北省24所中小学生为研究对象,采用问卷调查、文献资料及数理统计等研究方法.针对不同年龄段的青少年身体素质发展规律安排了素质练习,并制订了合理的体育课程内容,提出了相应建议.     

Sketching: Friend or Foe to the Novice Designer?

Previous research by one of the authors showed that novice designers do not use sketching as a way to generate, develop and communicate design proposals, but move immediately to three-dimensional modelling. Neither do they generate multiple solutions. The follow-up study described here addressed the questions: Does teaching two-dimensional modelling enable Grade 7 pupils to better express their ideas and organize their thoughts? What role does discussion play in pupils' attempts to generate a design proposal? Does the use of contextualising items make a difference to pupils' success with designing? Eight Grade 7 pupils were drawn from each of two classes. One class had received instruction in sketching; the other served as a control group. Each group of eight pupils was divided into single-sex dyads. The eight dyads were videotaped while producing a solution to a common design brief. Analysis of the data has provided insights into the effects of instruction on the proposals produced by pupils. Additionally, their ability to generate, develop and communicate design ideas is enhanced by both the dynamic relationship between pupils' talk and 3D modelling and the way the task is contextualised. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Question-answering-technique to support freshman and senior engineers in processes of engineering design

In two experimental studies, the influence of question-based reflection on the quality of design solutions was investigated. Students and experts with different know-how and professional experience had to design an artefact that should meet a list of requirements. Subsequently, they were asked to answer a system of interrogative questions stimulating reflection on the solutions with the opportunity to modify or revise them. These questions cause the participants to explain, justify and evaluate their finished design and, hence, aiming at the semantic relations in systems. In all groups significant improvements of the solutions were obtained whereby the improvements of engineers with a lower work-experience (job beginners) were significantly higher as those with higher experience. The integration of a specific type of questioning behaviour in the design education is discussed.     

Robotics and STEM learning: students’ achievements in assignments according to the P3 Task Taxonomy—practice,problem solving,and projects

This study presents the case of development and evaluation of a STEM-oriented 30-h robotics course for junior high school students (n = 32). Class activities were designed according to the P3 Task Taxonomy, which included: (1) practice—basic closed-ended tasks and exercises; (2) problem solving—small-scale open-ended assignments in which the learner can choose the solution method or arrive at different answers; and (3) project-based learning—open-ended challenging tasks. The research aimed at exploring students’ working patterns, achievements in learning the course, and the impact of this experience on students’ motivation to learn STEM subjects. Evaluation tools included a final exam on factual, procedural and conceptual knowledge in the STEM subject learned in the course, class observations, interviews with the students, and administrating an attitude questionnaire before and after the course. Since the experimental class was quite heterogenic in regard to students’ prior learning achievements and motivation to learn, some of the students completed just the basic exercises, others coped well with the problem-solving tasks, and only a few took it upon themselves to carry out a complex project. However, all students showed high motivation to learn robotics and STEM subjects. In summary, robotics provides a very rich and attractive learning environment for STEM education. Yet, the realization of this potential depends largely on careful design of the course methodology and especially the students’ assignments in the class. One should recognize that often only some students are capable of learning a new subject on their own through project work, and these students also need to gain additional knowledge and skills before dealing with complex projects.     

长圆形孔的结构参数对其周边应力的集中影响

为了解决圆筒形容器超标长圆形孔补强结构设计缺乏理论依据、设计效率较低等问题,采用数值模拟、理论分析和实验测试相结合的方法,对不同结构参数条件下开孔周边应力分布情况进行分析,计算了最大应力集中系数（K_max）,并采用极差分析法研究了各参数对K_max的影响规律。结果表明：影响长圆形孔周边K_max的主要参数包括筒体直径（D）、短轴与筒体直径之比（b/D）、长短轴之比（a/b）、 凸缘宽度（B）和凸缘高度（H）;应力集中影响范围主要在距离长轴两端1.5b范围内;K_max随着a/b和b/D的增加而增加,随着B和H的增加而降低;其中a/b对K_max的影响程度最为显著,b/D和H对K_max的影响程度相当,但影响程度明显低于a/b,B和D对K_max的影响程度最低。研究所得的结构参数对应力集中系数的影响规律,及提出的补强设计相关原则,为圆筒形容器长圆形孔补强设计提供了理论依据,对于提高设计效率、保障压力容器安全具有一定的意义。     

Student response to an Internet-mediated industrial design studio course

The purpose of this study is to investigate student attitudes towards and perceptions of using the Internet and information technology to mediate a design studio course and to propose guidelines and suggestions for developing Internet-mediated design studio courses. Two classes of third-year undergraduate industrial design students in two collaborating universities in Taiwan—Chang Gung University and National Yunlin University of Science and Technology—participated in an experimental design studio course mediated with an online design learning environment. Surveys and focus group interviews were conducted at the end of the course to record students’ attitudes and perceptions. The students thought that the approach used had a positive influence on design teaching and learning and expressed acceptance of using the Internet to support design education. Finally, suggestions were proposed to help design educators in adopting, modifying, and developing systems for using the Internet to mediate design studio courses.     

Attitudes of Design Students Toward Computer Usage in Design

The success of efforts to integrate technology with design education is largely affected by the attitudes of students toward technology. This paper presents the findings of a research on the attitudes of design students toward the use of computers in design and its correlates. Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools are the most widely used computer applications in design. An instrument was developed and applied for the first time to relate computer attitude to design field through CAD. Interior architecture undergraduates of Bilkent University participated in the survey. As a result, students’ attitudes toward the use of computers in design were found to be positive. A significant gender difference in attitudes toward computers was observed with males having more positive attitudes than females. The results also revealed that students’ attitude toward computer usage in design was highly related to their general attitude toward computers, but it was not correlated with their perception of instructors’ attitude toward the use of computers in design.     

3D simulation technology as an effective instructional tool for enhancing spatial visualization skills in apparel design

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of 3D simulation technology for enhancing spatial visualization skills in apparel design education and further to suggest an innovative teaching approach using the technology. Apparel design majors in an introductory patternmaking course, at a large Midwestern University in the United States, participated in this study. Three different teaching methods (lecture, 3D simulation instruments, and paper patternmaking) were employed in consecutive instructional phases, within a single day. A short questionnaire devised to assess students’ visualization abilities and overall evaluation on the three different teaching methods was administered to the students after each of the three phases. Overall, students’ abilities to visualize 2D patterns onto a human body were improved by all three teaching methods. The 3D simulation instruments anchored positive effects of training on spatial visualization abilities between lecture and paper patternmaking practices. The results affirm that 3D simulation technology has positive potential as an efficient instructional tool for improving students’ visualization skills in apparel design.     

Materials experience as a foundation for materials and design education

An important body of research has developed in recent years, explaining ways in which product materials influence user experiences. A priority now is to ensure that the research findings are adopted within an educational context to deliver contemporary curricula for students studying the subject of materials and design. This paper reports on an international initiative to develop ‘materials experience’ as a formal subject of study, complementary to traditional technical and engineering approaches to materials and design education. General learning objectives for materials experience are established, followed by specific attention to three kinds of experience that arise during user–material–product interaction: gratification of senses, conveyance of meanings, and elicitation of emotions. For each of these kinds of experience, a specially devised active learning exercise is explained in detail. In combination, these exercises are argued to deliver a good foundation for student appreciation and action on designing for material experiences in product design. The paper concludes with recommendations for how to responsibly redress the imbalance that exists in materials and design education, by transitioning from a culture of ‘imparting knowledge about materials’ to a culture of ‘generating experience with materials’.     

在机反求中基于模型修正的路径规划方法

反求工程一般借助三坐标测量机或者三维扫描仪实现零件数字化,测量设备成本很高,限制了反求工程的应用。针对这一问题,利用数控机床较高精度行走的机构,添加专用在机测头,构成数字化测量设备;利用CAD草图模型驱动,研究了路径信息的基本表示方法、不同特征元素上测量点的分布形式、测量点的区分和归属原则以及测点路径信息的导出形式,开发专用在机反求软件,自动生成反求路径的测量程序。该方法减少了测量数据量,简化了反求过程,提供了一种低成本的反求工程新方法。     

“服装模版法”在成衣设计中的技术应用研究

在社会培训和高职服装设计相关专业教学中,造型问题成为有设计天赋无绘画基础的学生学习此专业的最大障碍。我们研究这套数据型"服装模版"及其具体应用技巧,目的是寻找一种适合此类学生的绘画捷径,学生可以在最短的时间内掌握大量不同造型的服装绘画,从而解决绘画基础薄弱的服装设计人员"造型难"问题。借用服装模板辅助进行款式设计,因有肩、腰、臀的参考,绘制款式像在套公式,有章可循且简单易行。     

The abilities of understanding spatial relations,spatial orientation,and spatial visualization affect 3D product design performance: using carton box design as an example

Three-dimensional (3D) product design is an essential ability that students of subjects related to product design must acquire. The factors that affect designers’ performance in 3D design are numerous, one of which is spatial abilities. Studies have reported that spatial abilities can be used to effectively predict people’s performance in conducting complex operations. Nevertheless, few studies have explored the relationship between spatial abilities and designers’ performance in 3D product design. Spatial ability is a type of mental ability and comprises numerous factors. Carton box design is a typical type of standardized 3D product design, in which designers’ performance is affected by the spatial abilities they possess. The most crucial factor among these abilities is the space conversion ability, which is the ability to convert two-dimensional (2D) surface developments into 3D perspective views and convert 3D carton boxes into 2D plans. These operations require an in-depth perception of objects, an understanding of the relative spatial relations among objects, and spatial visualization. In this study, carton box design was used as an example to investigate, using structural equation modeling, the effects that the ability to understand spatial relations, spatial orientation, and spatial visualization have on designers’ performance in 3D product design. The results indicated that all three spatial abilities (i.e., understanding spatial relations, spatial orientation, and spatial visualization) directly influence designers’ performance in carton box design. Therefore, spatial abilities are vital factors affecting designers’ performance in 3D product design.     

Reconfigurable organisation to cope with unpredictable goals

The paper proposes a methodology and design rules for organisational structures facing higher necessity of rapidly reconfigure themselves to cope with unpredictable situations—new markets, new products, changing mix of production, problems in production process or flows etc. It implies changing and often conflictive criteria for production goals and for the allocation of work. The methodology was developed based on a large field action research and consulting. Their basis is the design of auto-reconfigurable working groups—or groups with variable geometry, depending on the events to face.     

Learning to think spatially in an undergraduate interdisciplinary computational design context: a case study

Spatial thinking skills are vital for success in everyday living and work, not to mention the centrality of spatial reasoning in scientific discoveries, design-based disciplines, medicine, geosciences and mathematics to name a few. This case study describes a course in spatial thinking and communicating designed and delivered by an interdisciplinary team over a three-year period to first-year university students. Four major elements provide a framework for the sequencing of instruction and acquisition of 2D and 3D spatial thinking and reasoning skills in a computational design context. We describe the process of introducing students to computational design environments beginning with a fun and familiar tool in preparation for a more complex, industry-standard system (SolidWorks). A design project provides diverse student teams an opportunity to integrate and apply foundational spatial concepts and skills including sketching, 2D and 3D representations, as well as digital and physical modeling. Samples of student work illustrate the scaffolding necessary for students to successfully draw upon the spatial thinking and communication skills required to complete their team projects beginning with applying sketching techniques; modeling individual 3D parts; creating digital assemblies; and finally building the equivalent 3D physical model. Key instructional principles provide a framework for the analysis of what worked and what didn’t in relation to spatial skills development in students. The lessons learned are identified along with potential future directions for teaching and learning scholarship in spatial thinking development within a computational design context.     

Why do students present different design objectives in engineering design projects?

Engineering design practice has been recognized as an effective approach to engage students in STEM learning. However, we noticed that students who possessed strong STEM knowledge did not necessarily perform well on their design projects. Thus, this study sought to explore factors that shaped students’ design objectives and means. A design-based research was adopted using a single group teaching experiment, in which students’ performance in relation to conceptual knowledge, engineering design practice, and their STEM attitudes were assessed in different design complexity groups. Based on the findings of this study, we concluded that students’ interest and metacognitive skills might be the key factors affecting their motivation during the engineering design process. Their abilities in predictive analysis and testing/revising were core elements affecting their design thinking. Our work provides preliminary evidence on how students form and present different design purposes and objectives in an engineering design project.     

地理测绘中的三维CAD技术

在测绘过程中,将CAD技术运用于地理地形绘图中,能够大大提高绘图效率。在地理制图测绘中,三维CAD可以对地质测绘的结果通过相关的绘图软件进行编辑处理,然后用绘图的方式把最终结果输出,在整个地质勘探的过程中是一个不可或缺的环节,经过CAD处理以后能够将复杂的地形地势的绘制简单化,降低绘图过程中可能出现的失误。但由于三维CAD没有普及,运用在地理测绘中,出现了许多问题,本文对这些问题进行了总结,并提出了有效地解决方案。