Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

8-1991

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major Professor

Gerald Cheek

Committee Members

R. Pierce, J. Matthews, M. Harris

Abstract

Education must maintain timely and appropriate curriculum content. Industrial Education and Technology Education (lET) are in the midst of a debate that reaches to the foundations of each discipline. The impacts of technological changes in business and industry have necessitated the updating of lET curriculum to keep content relevant. The personal computer has revolutionized the workplace and is affecting education in a significant way. Computer applications in schools have grown from general word processing and data analysis to specific applications such as computer aided drafting. The basic question of this study was. Are there differences in the achievement and attitudes of students taught drafting using traditional equipment and those who are taught drafting using the VersaCAD computer software system? This research looked at differences in drafting achievement and attitudes of students taught introductory level technical drafting with two different methodologies: Computer aided drafting methodology and traditional drafting methodology. A sample was selected from the students registering for four of the seven sections of TEC 1001, Introduction to Technical Drafting, at Appalachian State University. Students were taught using the traditional course outline and text. Pretest/posttest were administered to measure cognitive drafting knowledge using the Ohio Drafting Achievement Test and attitudes toward technical drafting using the Gable-Roberts Attitude Toward School Subjects inventory. Drafting skill problems were evaluated to provide drafting skill achievement data. An analysis of covariance was used to statistically determine any significant differences between the CAD group and the TRAD group. The findings of this research determined there was no significant difference in the cognitive achievement level and attitudes of students taught using different methodology and tools. There was, however, a significant difference in the drafting skill evaluations between the CAD and TRAD groups. The CAD drawings were evaluated significantly lower than the TRAD drawings. As prior research had concluded, this research illustrated technical drafting cognitive knowledge could be taught as effectively using computer aided drafting methodologies as traditional methodologies. There was also no difference in the students' attitudes toward technical drafting between the two methodologies. From the analysis of the data, however, it can be concluded that drafting students achieve higher drafting skill levels when taught traditionally using traditional tools and methodologies than those taught in a traditional manner using computer aided drafting tools and methodologies. Further research should be conducted to determine the benefits of incorporating CAD in introductory drafting classes, particularly in the area of drafting skills. Research should be conducted to determine the most effective curriculum to incorporate CAD into the technical drafting course. Research is also needed to determine the current and future needs of drafting employers for better lET course development.

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