An Educator's Framework for Modern Computer-Aided Design Instruction

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is a central tool for communication and design in engineering industries. While CAD tools are commonly found in engineering curricula across Canada, relatively few resources exist regarding best practices and considerations for teaching CAD. To contribute to these resources, we sought to co-create a comprehensive list of learning outcomes and teaching considerations for CAD instruction. We did so by undertaking an iterative reflective practice to capture our lived experience as CAD educators and researchers using a Visual CAD Learning Framework. We present this framework along with a discussion of trade-offs along the dimensions of learning outcomes, activities, and assessments. We hope that educators use this framework to reflect on their own practices of CAD instruction, fostering better informed choices about course content and instruction techniques so that students are better prepared to become effective engineering designers.