The role of computer-aided design in the learning of practical 3D-descriptive geometry: a case study

There are a number of problems surrounding the teaching of practical 3-D descriptive geometry to children in secondary education, notably the difficulty pupils have with visualising an object's form from orthographic views, and the interpretation of an object's geometric attributes into the descriptive geometry representation. The purpose of the current research is to evaluate the use of computer-aided design in this area of the curriculum and is based upon work undertaken in a North London comprehensive school. The school and its context is described and evaluated. Theories of child development and educational psychology of relevance to the study are reviewed, notably the work of Piaget, Bryant, Gagne, and Freeman. The history and nature of 3-D descriptive geometry is reviewed in practice and in education, with special reference to various methods employed in instruction. Dr. J. Vince's PICASO SYSTEM of computer subroutines and functions written in FORTRAN for graphic applications is explained as a means of teaching the subject, with special reference to the researcher's own instructional material and computer programs. The use and effectiveness of these teaching materials are related and evaluated in the light of students' performance and results. The research concludes that the special benefits of computer graphics in this field are: the economic production of appropriate didactic material under the direct control of the teacher, increased pupil motivation due to the use of better illustration and the interest generated by computer-aided design project work. and an opportunity to employ analytic geometry to support learning. Its limitations include: the high cost of the computer and peripheral devices, and the lack of a facility for modelling objects by the removal of solid volumes in the existing software. Further research is recommended in the areas of computer graphics, descriptive geometry, and psychology