Graphics Course Research Articles

Thinking of Engineering Graphics Teaching Management Model and Teacher Team Building

The engineering graphics discipline subordinate professional school of management, this mode of teaching management has the following problems. Engineering graphics teachers, can not concentrate on doing their own teaching and research work. One teacher without effective engineering graphics peer assessment, his engineering graphics teaching quality can not be guaranteed. New teachers into the institute,difficult to obtain a valid assessment. Problem solving way, first of all, engineering colleges, to set up engineering graphics independent management department, so that engineering graphics courses teaching quality is guaranteed under the existing conditions, can quickly show good results. Followed, by the mobilization of engineering graphics experts, in qualified well known engineering colleges, create engineering graphics undergraduate, to cultivate high quality engineering graphics talent, and engineering graphics software development talent. Engineering graphics teaching quality assurance will be continued,so that this intangible heritage is inherited. So, for the engineering circles, cultivation of top design talent and high quality graphics software-development talent has a solid foundation.

Evaluation of the Engineering Graphics Course Outcomes using Multi-Choice Questions

The Engineering Graphic Course (KF1173) is the faculty's mandatory course in the Faculty of Engineering in Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia (UKM) that must be taken by all first year students. The Outcome-based Education (OBE) has been implemented in this course during the second semester in the 2005/2006 session and is evaluated based on the Program Outcomes (PO). The Course Outcomes (CO) of this course is proposed to embrace the selected POs. In order to achieve the POs, the course is comprised with laboratory work (computer software application of AutoCAD), projects according to respective departments and examinations (quizzes, mid-terms, and final examination). In this course, the COs under the cognitive main domain can be assessed by Multi-choice Questions (MCQ). Hence, this paper presents the analysis of Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) of final examination paper to evaluate student competency and their fundamental knowledge by introducing the level of difficulty for every question considered as difficult, intermediate or simple questions.

A recursive ray tracer assignment

Most introductory graphics courses focus entirely on the OpenGL graphics library. However, OpenGL is complex and hides much of the implementation making the rendering process seem complex and myste...

Implementation of OBE in the Engineering Graphics Course and Analysis of Academic Performance

The first year students of 2005/2006 session is the first batch of students who were exposed to the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) and were evaluated for Program-Outcomes (PO) entirely beginning the first year until they have graduated. The Graphical Engineering Course (KF1173) is the faculty's mandatory course that must be taken by every first year student in the Faculty of Engineering adn Built Environment, UKM. This course is comprised of laboratory work (computer software application of AutoCAD), projects according to respective departments and examinations (quizzes, mid-terms, and final examination). This is to fulfil the six POs. This paper presents on the analysis of students (2005/2006 session) under the course's academic achievement by taking departments, gender and race into consideration. The aim is to review them based on these aspects with the highest academic achievements and better understanding of the course based on the Outcome-Based Education (OBE).

Visualization Performance Through Simulation Based Learning

The skill of visualization is fundamental to the teaching and learning of engineering design and graphics. Implicit in any skill is the ability to improve with training and practice. This study examines visualization performance using three teaching modalities of a Freshmen Design and Graphics course: 1) Traditional, 2) Project based Dissection, and 3) Simulation based Design. The first and second modalities focused assessment on the part/assembly form, whereas the third modality transitioned the outcome expectations to understanding and function of mechanism design. A shift of focus from Traditional (Form) to Simulation (Function) was expected to positively effect visualization performance. Analogously, medical education and practice also require visualization and high-fidelity simulation has provided numerous positive outcomes for the practice of medicine. Comparison of a random population of 375 from each year indicated a decline in the average visualization scores. Further analysis revealed that highest 100 and 250 exam score populations show improvement in average scores with consistent variance. This paper will examine simulation based learning in medicine and engineering, present our findings on the comparison between teaching modalities, and discuss the reasons for the unexpected bifurcation of results.

IMPORTANCE OF FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING DESIGN PROJECTS TO SELF-EFFICACY: DO FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS FEEL LIKE ENGINEERS?

Self-efficacy, a belief that one can achieve a certain level of attainment, is important to student retention in engineering and technology fields. Developing ways to increase self-efficacy should be a primary concern for engineering programs. Several key tasks will be investigated including (a) the importance of design projects to self-efficacy in first-year engineering, and (b) making first-year engineering students feel like engineers. A team-based “Cornerstone” design project was undertaken by first-year engineering students as part of a Design and Graphics course. Two groups of first- year engineering students were surveyed, (1) students who had completed the course and design project in first term, and (2) students who were enrolled in the second term offering of the same course, before completing the design project. The survey focused on Bandura’s four identified sources of self-efficacy: (a) Mastery experiences, (b) Vicarious experiences, (c) Social persuasions, and (d) Physiological states, as well as a fifth often added characteristic (e) Drive and motivation. Additionally, students were asked to quantify their agreement or disagreement to the statement “I feel like an Engineer.” This paper will present the results between these two groups and will be of interest to faculty involved in freshmen design.

Research and Development of Engineering Graphics Virtual Laboratory

In introducing the principles and characteristics of virtual laboratory，according to the characteristics and laboratory requirements of engineering graphics course, combined with the functional requirements of virtual laboratory, using three-Browser / Servers architecture, creating a system framework of virtual laboratory; designed various functions to meet engineering graphics virtual laboratory teaching experiments requirements, have been optimized the selection of key technologies and application of Engineering Graphics Virtual Laboratory, lay the foundation for the further development of engineering graphics virtual laboratory.

Restoring Washed Out Bridges so ELearners Arrive at Online Course Destinations Successfully

This study researched the impact of strategic navigation improvements in an online course selected for the study over one quarter (12 weeks) at a large Midwestern private university. The primary purpose of the study was to see if navigation enhancements and specific graphic enhancements (semiotic tools) in the online course selected for the study could make it easier for adult students to learn new course materials. The study also sought to see if these factors could contribute to increased positive learning experiences and to see whether there might be a higher percentage of completion rates in this enhanced online course than in other online courses at the university. While not generalizable, the findings could provide inferences about which factors could positively influence adult learning in online courses and contribute to increased course completion rates; the study could also provide recommendations on graphic enhancements and online course navigation that positively influence student learning in online courses.

IMPROVING THE SPATIAL VISUALIZATION SKILLS OF FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Spatial visualization skills are the aptitudes needed to mentally process three-dimensional images of objects. These skills are important to successful design engineers of all disciplines and are closely correlated to student performance in undergraduate engineering programmes. This paper reports on the metrics, curriculum, and teaching methods that have been implemented at McMaster University to improve the visualization skills of first year engineering students and modernize the course content of the mandatory first year engineering design and graphics course. Strong improvements in visualization test scores has been observed from the first week through to the last week of the course. To automate grading, the visualization tests have been implemented on WebCT. The WebCT-based visualization tests and results will be shared with other CDEN members upon request.

A GRAPHICS AND DESIGN COURSE BASED ON COMPETITION MACHINE DEVELOPMENT

A second year mechanical engineering course in design and graphics is described. The course is structured around the design and fabrication of machines that take part in a competition at the end of the term; however, the main components of the students' performance evaluation are midterm and final design reports. The design objective is to build a competition machine, using only a supplied kit of materials, that performs a specified task better than the opponent’s. The course instructor prepares a new contest each year. This paper outlines the course structure and contents. It details the competition organization and its physical setup. Challenges associated with teaching this type of design course are discussed as well.

FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING BICYCLE DISSECTION AS AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Introductory design in a common first year engineering programme requires a balance between prescribed demonstration and open ended design. As a method of motivating and engaging students, McMaster’s first year design and graphics course has had success running a product dissection project; referred to as the Cornerstone Project. The Cornerstone project’s goal is to create a base for an engineer’s design education and technical communications. While the course domain is traditionally considered mechanical in nature, the concepts apply across all engineering disciplines. With greater public concern about the environment and sustainability, the Cornerstone project will introduce these considerations in design. The summer offering of the Engineering Design and Graphics course will run a pilot course to examine the dissection, modelling, and sustainability of a commuter bicycle. This paper will describe the project, discuss its results, and present examples of student submissions.

REVERSE ENGINEERING: TENSION RATCHET DISSECTION PROJECT

We are a group of engineering students, in our first year of undergraduate study. We have been selected from one thousand first year students and have competed and won the PACE competition. All engineers share a common general first year, but we have been accepted into Civil and Mechanical engineering. This project was assigned as the final project in the Design and Graphics course. The project we are tasked with, called the Cornerstone Design Project, is to first dissect a product, discover how it works, dimension each part and create a fully assembled model using CAD software (Solid Edge V20 in our case). As part of discovering how it works we must benchmark it so the device can be compared with competing products. The goal of the project is to develop a full understanding of part modeling and assembly in Solid Edge, learn proper measurement techniques, and learn the process of reverse engineering and product dissection. All of these tasks were stepping stones to help us fully understand how the device, and all its components, work.

Computer graphics: from desktop to mobile and web.

Traditionally, computer graphics courses have centered on desktop environments using well-known frameworks such as OpenGL. That approach might become obsolete in a new context in which developers must create applications for smart phones, tablets, and rich Internet applications. Teaching computer graphics in this situation is becoming difficult; traditional tools don't address these new requirements in an integrated way. To deal with this situation, the Processing development environment provides high-end solutions in visualization, animation, and interaction, while letting students deploy their programs on desktop computers, smart phones, tablets, and websites. Instructors can introduce devices and interaction paradigms in just a few hours. In an introductory computer graphics course, Processing dramatically boosted students' motivation. Their work wasn't just visible in the lab; they could show it to classmates and friends on their own smart phones, tablets, and websites.

Use of Tangible and Augmented Reality Models in Engineering Graphics Courses

Engineering graphics courses are typically a requirement for engineering students around the world. Besides understanding and depicting graphic representation of engineering objects, the goal of these courses is to provide students with an understanding of the relationship between three-dimensional (3D) objects and their projections. However, in the classroom, where time is limited, it is very difficult to explain 3D geometry using only drawings on paper or at the blackboard. The research presented herein aims to develop two teaching aids; a tangible model and an augmented reality (AR) model, to help students better understand the relationship between 3D objects and their projections. Tangible models refer to the physical objects which are comprised of a set of differently shaped pieces. The tangible model we developed includes eight wooden blocks that include all the main geometrical features with respect to their 3D projections. The AR models are the virtual models which can superimpose 3D graphics of t...

Teaching a shader-based introduction to computer graphics.

OpenGL has become the application programming interface (API) for teaching introductory computer graphics courses in computer science, engineering, and mathematics. Faculty can rely on many OpenGL features-such as its availability across platforms, its backward compatibility, and its defaults-to support a variety of teaching styles and course goals. More recently, OpenGL has changed radically to support new hardware features, and new versions of OpenGL necessitate reexamining and updating the standard way of teaching computer graphics.

Development and Application of an Autonomous Learning System for Engineering Graphics Education

Autonomous learning plays an important role in raising students' learning effect and innovation ability in university education. An effective e-learning environment is indispensable in autonomous learning. This paper studies a web based e-learning system and examines students' autonomous learning ability and perceptions of e-learning taking students at University of Jinan in China as an example. In this paper, a web-based e-learning system for engineering graphics course is developed. The characteristics, the design idea and strategies fit for engineering graphics are introduced. The architecture and system composition are discussed. The key technologies and implementation methods of each module of system are described in detail. The students had experiences on the network learning system for two years. The practical application indicates that it can enhance students' perceptual cognition to the teaching contents, increase their learning interests, develop their learning initiative and make them master the teaching contents more quickly.

Bresenham's Lines Algorithm Visualization Using Flash

This paper is intended to develop an algorithm visualization, particularly Bresenham's Line Algorithm for a Computer Graphics course. Algorithm visualization technology graphically illustrates how algorithms work. This visualization can be used to explain how a line is produced in a display computer for education. This research consists of 6 steps which are concept, design, obtaining of content material, assembly, testing, and distribution. During the testing step, the application is run and checked to confirm that it performs exactly what the author has intended and the students can learn Bresenham's Line Algorithm by studying the visualization. Flash movie demonstrate how Bresenham's Line Algorithm visualized by inputing data, performing calculation, and then returning the calculated results back to output text field. Subjects of the research were students of Department of Informatics Universitas Persada Indonesia YAI for implementation of the learning. The data were analyzed using the analytic descriptive method and interpreted in a narrative way based on the research findings. The visualization and the interactivity have been well tested by the students, and the results indicate that students increase their ability to program graphic application.

Performance and Cognitive Assessment in 3-D Modeling

The purpose of this study was to investigate identifiable differences between performance and cognitive assessment scores in a 3-D modeling unit of an engineering drafting course curriculum. The study aimed to provide further investigation of the need of skill-based assessments in engineering/technical graphics courses to potentially increase accuracy in evaluating students’ factual and conceptual knowledge in preparation for the workplace. The study consisted of 92 high school students enrolled in Drafting IIEngineering. Students were administered existing assessment Nolan Fahrer is an Engineering Drafting teacher at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He can be reached at nefahrer@ncsu.edu. Jeremy Ernst is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He can be reached at jvernst@gmail.com. Theodore Branoff is an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University. He can be reached at Ted_branoff@ncsu.edu. Aaron Clark is an Associate Professor at North Carolina State University. He can be reached at Aaron_clark@ncsu.edu. Performance and Cognitive Assessment in 3-D Modeling 69 items provided in the 3-D Modeling unit of the Drafting IIEngineering curriculum. The results provided evidence that there were no significant differences between performance and cognitive assessment in the particular unit; however, it is necessary to further develop and implement performance-based assessments in Career & Technical Education that require students to exhibit both skills and knowledge.

Exploration of Teaching System Reform in Modern Engineering Graphics

Introducing three-dimensional modeling technology into the teaching of modern engineering graphics is a hot topic for graphics areas in recent years. Three-dimensional geometric modeling principles, methods, and skills will be integrated and infiltrated to modern engineering graphics course, and this will form a new teaching theory, content and process with modern engineering graphics teaching trends. The teaching reform of modern engineering graphics in the three- dimensional modeling environment must be imperative. This paper analyzes the shortcomings of a traditional teaching system, and explores the teaching mode which three-dimensional modeling is as the mainline and integrates two-dimensional design. Also proposes a combination of teaching methods, and makes the exploration of teaching reform.

Medijomis paremtas dėstymas kaip informacijos pateikimo ir įsisavinimo pagalbininkas

Nowadays media is readily moving into various spheres of life. The computer, projector and screen replace trivial chalk and board. Slides are used in various designated areas: promotional presentations at meetings as a form of communication between participants and also as visual presentation of lecture material content of the report. It was found that a human catches up and remembers only about 10% of what he has read, 20% of what he has heard and even 50% of what he heard and saw. Therefore, high-quality and Professional presentation of information in the slide form has a significant impact on the uptake. The authors present a solution how to present the study material qualitatively and use the media system effectively for teaching computer graphics course. This course is taught for VGTU first or second year students of almost all specialities. This presentation of study materials facilitates the teacher's work and improves the readability and solutions of study materials. Article in Lithuanian