2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Effects of Course Goals on Student Motivation in Computer-Aided Design Courses

Presented at Engineering Design Graphics Division (EDGD) Technical Session 2

This work-in-progress (WIP) study seeks to describe and evaluate the effects of different course goals on student engagement and motivation in computer-aided design courses (CAD). CAD courses are a mainstay of mechanical engineering education. In the pursuit of greater student engagement and learning, CAD instructors have employed a diversity of strategies and course goals. This study will focus on two particular course goals in CAD classes: industry certification and project-based learning. Study participants will be undergraduate students enrolled in CAD courses that pursue either industry certification with the Certified SolidWorks Associate/Professional (CSWA/CSWP) certificate or a multiple-week open-ended design project as major components of the course.

This will be a mixed-methods study that collects data over the course of three semesters from five different institutions: two small private universities in the Pacific northwest, two small private midwestern universities, and one mid-sized private midwestern university. Students enrolled in the CAD courses at these universities will be asked to complete a questionnaire at the beginning of the semester measuring their interest in learning CAD, anticipated motivation to learn CAD, and prior exposure to CAD. A similar questionnaire will be administered at the end of the semester that will also ask them to reflect on how the course goals affected their engagement with the course. It is anticipated that industry-based certification will lead to greater increases in extrinsic motivation, while the open-ended projects will lead to greater increases in intrinsic motivation, as compared to a control group that employs neither of these goals.

Authors

Dr. Tyler Carter Kreipke CSC University of Portland [biography]

Tyler Kreipke, CSC, received his Bachelor of Science from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2011, majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Biomaterials and minoring in German. He completed his doctorate in Bioengineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2017, where his dissertation focused on bone mechanobiology. He completed his Master of Divinity at the University of Notre Dame in 2023, and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood as a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 2024. He now teaches mechanical engineering at the University of Portland in Oregon. His research interests include developing student self-efficacy and engagement in mechanical engineering, specifically in design and engineering graphics contexts.
Mr. Chris James Hainley Jr University of Portland [biography]

C.J. Hainley is an Engineering Instructor at the University of Portland with over 15 years of combined experience in industry and academia. He specializes in CAD, manufacturing, and human-centered design, and directs student-led electric vehicle and UAV design competition projects. A former design engineer at ESCO Corporation and research fellow at Draper Laboratories, he holds an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Portland.
Dr. Joshua Gargac Ohio Northern University [biography]

Joshua Gargac is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Ohio Northern University.
Dr. Craig M. Goehler University of Notre Dame [biography]

Dr. Goehler is a "Triple Domer" in that he received all three of his degrees from the University of Notre Dame: BSME in 2002, MSME in 2004, and PhD in 2007 (all in the areas of mechanism/robot analysis and synthesis). After nearly a decade under the Dome, he took on a postdoctoral research associate role at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago where he discovered his love for bioengineering, specifically the application of mechanical engineering techniques to describe human movement. From 2009 until 2021, Dr. Goehler was a professor at Valparaiso University and finally returned home to take on a faculty position at Notre Dame in August 2021. He is extremely passionate about being an educator and truly believes that "there is no such thing as a dumb question except for the one left unasked."
Dr. Lynn Dudash University of Mount Union [biography]

Lynn Dudash is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at University of Mount Union.
Dr. Michael Foster George Fox University [biography]

Michael Foster received a B.S. in engineering from Messiah College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Drexel University. He is currently a Professor of mechanical engineering at George Fox University and the chair of the Dept. of Mechanical, Civil, and Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Kayt Frisch George Fox University [biography]

Dr. Frisch's research helps students and professionals engage with data in meaningful and insightful ways. She specializes in data relating to creating student learning experiences, biomechanics, and large-scale time-series data analysis.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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