Aligning a CAD course constructively: telling-to-peer and writing-to-peer activities for efficient use of CAD in design curricula

Abstract

As the literature points out the lack of efficient use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) in design curricula, we aimed to align a CAD course based on student-centered learning theories. While designating a constructively aligned CAD course, the intended learning outcomes were specified in relation to the knowledge types classified for the CAD learning process. Based on these outcomes, two genuine learning activities were developed which were namely telling-to-peer and writing-to-peer. These activities put novice CAD learners into the center where they could construct and reconstruct the knowledge while transmitting it to a predefined audience. The telling-to-peer activity referred to a tutoring experience in which they explained specific commands to their classmates. Tutorials in this course functioned as a writing-to-peer activity where the learners were asked to prepare for a specific audience. Additionally, we aligned the assessment strategy with these learning activities through formative assessment tasks. To get insights especially about these learning activities from the students, a qualitative course evaluation template was conducted at the end of the semester. In conclusion, a model associating the knowledge types with learning outcomes in terms of their complexities was developed for CAD courses.