Assessing mechanical engineering undergraduates’ conceptual knowledge in three dimensional computer aided design (3D CAD)

Abstract

Research on the relation between conceptual and procedural knowledge showed that interaction between them will enhance understanding of domain knowledge. At the university, the emphasis on teaching and learning of CAD is on the procedural knowledge, thus some students might not be aware of the concepts underlying the procedure used in 3D CAD. The question is do the students have the conceptual knowledge before entering the workforce. This article discusses the concept of developing 3D CAD models, identifies different categories of the concepts and provides assessment method for teaching and learning. It will address the implementation of Concept Map to assess students’ conceptual understanding on 3D modeling technique.