The strategic use of CAD

Abstract

The inefficient use of complex computer systems has been widely reported. These studies show the persistence of inefficient methods despite many years of experience and formal training. To counteract this phenomenon, we present the design of a new course, called the Strategic Use of CAD. The course aims at teaching students efficient strategies to use a computer-aided drafting system through a two-pronged approach. Learning to See teaches students to recognize opportunities to use efficient strategies by studying the nature of the task, and Learning to Do teaches students to implement the strategies. Results from a pilot experiment show that this approach had a positive effect on the strategic behavior of students who did not exhibit knowledge of efficient strategies before the class, and had no effect on the strategic behavior of those who did. Strategic training can thus assist users in recognizing opportunities to use efficient strategies. We present the ramifications of these results on the design of training and future experiments.