Followup Studies of Embedded Instruction for CAD Systems

The U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (USACERL) previously developed and tested an online embedded instruction system for teaching computer-aided design (CAD) to architects, engineers, and other design professionals. That study's results showed that online CAD instruction should provide more effective help for users having different learning styles and levels of experience with such systems. In addition, the study raised questions about the type of CAD concepts needed by designers and how to provide them in an online instruction program. This research used interviews with test subjects from the previous study to identify ways of making online CAD instruction more efficient and effective. The interviews showed that subjects displayed various levels of conceptual understanding of the system, differences in learning style, and individuality of work methods. This study recommends ways to enhance conceptual understanding and accommodate individual variations in learning style, online CAD experience, and work methods.