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Benefits of Video Tutorials For A Computer Aided Design Class

The second Introduction to Engineering course (ENCP A102) at University of South Carolina Aiken is a computer aided design (CAD) class wherein students learn to create three-dimensional views and two-dimensional drawings of mechanical components in Creo Parametric, a feature-based solid modeling program. In the 2019 spring semester, the author instructed students in a traditional classroom setting, going step-by-step through the first ten lessons of reference [1]. Students were evaluated with weekly homework assignments, a midterm and final exam, and a final modeling project. In the 2020 spring semester, the class began with the same approach. However, when classes shifted online due to the pandemic, the author decided to shift his instruction to a recorded video format. This approach provided students more flexibility and a greater sense of control over their schedule and learning process, which the author felt was important to their well-being during the early stages of the pandemic. Students responded very well to this approach, performing better on average than students in the previous year. Additionally, the author received many positive comments from students. Therefore, the author decided to use this video tutorial approach throughout the 2021 spring semester. With classes now back in a physical classroom, students were asked to bring in headphones to watch the video tutorials at their own pace. Students once again provided very positive feedback and performed, on average, better than students in the previous two years.

REFERENCES: [1] Toogood, R. 2018. Creo Parametric 5.0 Tutorial. Mission, KS: SDC Pubulications.