Developing A Nationally Normed Test For Engineering Graphics First Pilot Tests And Results

This paper describes a work in progress. A variety of engineering and graphics tests that have been used nationally have been collected and studied. From these tests, an engineering graphics preand post-test has been developed. As a pre-test, this test will provide engineering graphics teachers with some information about what their students know and don’t know and whether they can visualize in three dimensions. As a post-test, it will provide information on the knowledge and skills that have been gained during an academic term or over an academic year. This test is a multiple choice test and is designed to be administered on the Web. When considering Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning, this is a recognition test at Level One or Two – Knowledge or Comprehension. This multiple choice test done on the Web allows the faculty member to get the results quickly. The authors will be validating the answers on the test. In addition, a practical test – one where the students must demonstrate knowledge and skill by producing sketches and drawings.has been developed for use as a post-test. This test requires a higher level of learning on Bloom’s Taxonomy – Levels Three and Four – Application and Analysis. Both of these tests are being administered during the 2003 – 2004 academic year and this paper will provide the early results about gains in student knowledge. Introduction and Background Until recently, Engineering Graphics has been a required course at most institutions, helping to create a strong foundation for the undergraduate engineering and technology programs. Through the 1970s, a full year of Engineering Graphics instruction was part of undergraduate programs. Engineering Colleges, with the pressure to teach more information and skills in the undergraduate program, either reduced the number of credits and courses or eliminated Engineering Graphics altogether. Engineering Graphics is still a critical area of knowledge for students going to work in industry. As such, programs need to include graphics, but it must be taught efficiently. In the past, with an entire year to cover graphics and descriptive geometry, students had sufficient time to develop visualization skills and learn to create and read engineering drawings. With this much instruction and time to practice graphics skills, the instruction improved visualization skills which are critical for all students. Now programs have to be efficient in delivering graphics instruction and there needs to be a standard way to measure improvement in visualization skills and the learning of ANSI standard engineering graphics. In order to measure efficiency and effectiveness, a nationally normed test is needed so that faculty P ge 999.1