ERIC Number: EJ747893
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Feb
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0746-3537
EISSN: N/A
Constructivism Pedagogy Drives Redevelopment of CAD Course: A Case Study
Clemons, Stephanie A.
Technology Teacher, v65 n5 p19-21 Feb 2006
Teacher and student roles continue to change as computers continue to influence the design curriculum (Kaplan, 1997). Educators and administrators continue to grapple with the best ways to teach, implement, and maintain current technology. Few technology teachers would argue that computers, software, and hardware found in technology laboratories fascinate most students. Almost all technology laboratories have computers dedicated to specialized software or hardware such as CAD, CNS, design and desktop publishing, or video editing (Deal, 2004). To respond to increased demands for technological literacy (Pearson and Young, 2002), more demand is placed on the use of computer labs. In response, secondary and post-secondary institutions are requiring better teaching efficiencies, larger class sizes, and less support in their technology-driven classes. This article discusses the modification of a college CAD course to accommodate the new demands. This semester-long course was modified to accommodate twice the number of students in the same section--a shift from 20 students to 44 students. As a result, new goals and objectives for the course needed to be developed. New teaching methodologies and classroom management techniques had to be identified. New assignments had to be developed, and grading issues had to be resolved. This article also describes how constructivism, defined as a process of presenting a global concept of emerging relevance to the student learner and assisting them in posing and directing their own questions to investigate the subject material, was used as a solution for redevelopment of the course.
Descriptors: Constructivism (Learning), Teaching Methods, Computer Assisted Design, Curriculum Design, Curriculum Development, Educational Technology, Efficiency, Case Studies, Higher Education, Course Descriptions
International Technology Education Association (ITEA). 1914 Association Drive Suite 201, Reston, VA 20191-1539. Tel: 703-860-2100; Fax: 703-860-0353; e-mail: itea@iteaconnect.org; Web site: http://www.iteaconnect.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A