Browsing by Subject "Computer-aided design -- Study and teaching"
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Item Art educators' perceptions of students of computer-aided design in the U.S. and in Taiwan: perspectives necessary for the design of programs to increase female university student willingness to use computer-aided design technology for the arts(Texas Tech University, 2004-12) Lan, Lin HanThis study explores art educators' perceptions of female students who use computer-aided design (CAD) in the U.S. and Taiwan. Its qualitative research was conducted through in-depth interviews in which open-ended questions were discussed with instructors of CAD courses in the U.S. and Taiwan. Information gleaned from the teachers' observations and comments led to recommendations for program design that should increase U.S. and Taiwanese female university students' willingness to use CAD technology for the arts. The interviewees comprised twenty volunteers: six men and three women who teach in the U.S. and seven men and three women who teach in Taiwan. The research questions are (1) how do art educators develop instructional activities in CAD courses? (2) what are art educators' perceptions of the relationship between the gender socialization and CAD learning? and (3) how do art educators perceive female students studying CAD? In order to address the three research questions, the interview questions were based on a literature review framework that include three topics: the involvement of women in instructional activities in higher education, the socialization of women, and the nature of university courses in CAD for the arts. The three categories of interview questions comprised instructional activities, the socialization of women, and the learning of CAD software. The interview statements were designed to elicit similarities and differences between American and Taiwanese female students' participation in CAD instructional activities, understanding of the problems female students may face in CAD courses, and finally, identification of the problems they may have in using software such as 3DS MAX™, Autodesk VIZ™, and AutoCAD™. There are certain differences in educational background and cultural tradition for women in the U.S. and Taiwan that shape their different values. According to the U.S. interviewees, their female students were self-confident about their professional knowledge. Their ability to learn computer skills was not much different from the male students' abilities. The U.S. interviewees found that many of their female students performed well in class. The Taiwanese interviewees held the same view as the U.S. interviewees that there are no differences in the two genders' ability to learn. However, Taiwanese women displayed somewhat weaker motivation for learning than their U.S. counterparts due to Taiwan's system of higher education and traditional family values. Taiwanese women students tend not to regard CAD-related employment as a likely lifelong career. The interviewees suggested that having a basic prior knowledge of designing, drawing, and computer knowledge can help female students avoid frustration in learning advanced CAD software. Several interviewees brought up the relationship between computer graphics and artistic creativity. They suggested that CAD course design should not only focus on the study and development of skills, but also on the development of students’ creativity. Hence, this study claims that in order to elevate the quality of creative computer projects, it is required that the students develop a sense of visual art while taking courses in CAD. This study indicates art educators' perceptions of the CAD learning of female students in the U.S. and Taiwan. The observations are useful for the development of pedagogy that can encourage female students to use CAD comfortably and efficiently.Item Computer usage in interior design: professional applications and pedagogical implications(Texas Tech University, 1992-05) Curry, Zane D.This study surveyed professional members of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and Institute of Business Designers (IBD), ascertained computer competencies desired for entry-level employment by interior design graduates, and determined demographic characteristics such as type of practice, computer use, size of firm, etc. This study also compared competencies desired by professional interior designers with the computer competencies required by the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER) first professional level degree accredited programs, and surveyed FIDER-accredited programs and determined how interior design students were being instructed in computer applications. Questionnaires were mailed to 640 ASID and 160 IBD randomly selected professional members. The instrument contained questions concerning size of firm, type of practice, educational background, computer applications, and attitudes toward the use of the computer in the future of the interior design industry. A separate questionnaire containing questions concerning pedagogical methods, media, and requirements was mailed to representatives of the 73 first professional level degree programs accredited by FIDER. Forty-two percent of the IBD and 20 percent of the ASID professional members, and 63 percent of the representatives of the FIDER-accredited programs returned questionnaires. The data indicate that professional interior designers require an awareness level of student achievement for computer systems. However, professional interior designers indicated that interior design graduates should be competent in the use of computer-aided design/drafting (CAD) (73.4%) and word processing (57.4%), and the majority believed that the use of computers will be increasingly important in the future. Of the 46 FIDER-accredited programs, with a total enrollment of 5,315 students, the majority (73.9%) required a level of student achievement for computer systems higher than the "awareness" level recommended in the FIDER standards and guidelines. FIDER-accredited programs, as a whole, are currently meeting the entry-level computer skill requirements of professional interior designers. Professional interior designers indicate that the use of computers in the future will continue to escalate and will be essential to the interior design graduate. Therefore, educators must continually evaluate curricula, methods, and media to stay abreast of industry standards.Item Computer-aided design use in interior design firms(Texas Tech University, 2004-05) Key, DeloresRapid changes in computer technology and the introduction of computer-aided design have contributed to the evolution of the interior design profession. Small firms are being challenged to compete with larger firms in order to survive in today's complex and diverse interior design profession. Understanding how interior design firms are using computer-aided design to meet the needs and expectations of their clients is important to the success of smaller firms. The sample for this study consisted of 322 professional members of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and 179 professional members of the Intemational Interior Design Association (EDA) selected from the current membership directories provided by the national offices of ASID and BOA. The questionnaires were mailed to each subject and were designed to determine the statistical characteristics related to firm size, type of practice, education and CAD education background, computer usage, and expectations for entry-level employment. One hundred twenty-eight (39.8 %) of ASID and 78 (43.6 %) of EDA sample members returned questionnaires. The data indicated that interior design professionals graduated with a baccalaureate degree from FIDER accredited design programs, and are employed full time. A large number of ASID members graduated prior to the introduction of CAD to interior design programs. More than 52 % of the ASID sample have practiced interior design for more than 20 years, and 61.6 % of the EDA sample have practiced less than 20 years. Interior designers in both ASID and EDA expect entry-level employees to have a maximum level of CAD training and prefer to hire graduates with CAD training even if they do not use CAD. AutoCAD software is used by most designers in this study, and CAD software programs are used primarily for design preliminaries and construction drawings. Study results indicate that firm size affects gross income, but primarily for ASID study participants whose firms have 5 or less employees. Most firms in this study reported grossing more than $1,000,000; however, this is not true of firms with 1 to 5 employees. Firm size also appears to affect scope of work. Most interior design professionals, whose firms consist of from 1 to 5 employees, are residential designers. In addition study results indicate that as staff size decreases the percentage of employees who use CAD decreases and the scope of work also decreases. Most interior design professionals who participated in this study practice in firms with 1 to 5 employees. Data compiled from this study adds to the body of knowledge regarding computer aided design use in interior design firms and affirms the importance of CAD in the interior design profession. Additionally study results illustrate the importance of continuing to incorporate advanced computer-aided design into all phases of university interior design programs in order to prepare graduates to successfully enter the interior design profession. The information from this study may provide small firms with 1-5 employees to with information necessary to compete with larger firms. The information resulting from this study may also encourage the Foundation for Interior Design Research (FIDER) to consider including advanced CAD processes, such as 3D modeling and animations, as a additions to the existing levels of computer competencies required for accreditation. Study results may also affect university administrators' willingness to provide additional funding that may result in the development and implementation of university interior design programs that include advanced level CAD instruction in all upper-level interior design studio courses.