Methodology of selecting CAM software package for education based on a questionnaire

Abstract

Selecting computer-aided manufacturing software that meets learners’ requirements in education is a difficult process. Selection of a wrong software package can turn out to be costly in terms of allocated learning time and adaptability of students to software packages used in industries. This paper presents a methodology to provide selection criteria in education based on the theoretical model of activity theory. The main identified factors allowed us to draw up a questionnaire. This questionnaire aimed at getting learning effectiveness consideration from a group of 50 students of higher education using computer-aided manufacturing software. The processing and analysis of the questionnaire data helped us to set general criteria for the selection of computer-aided manufacturing software to be used for education purposes.