2022 First-Year Engineering Experience

WIP: The Importance of Freehand Sketching and Technical Drawing

Presented at Technical Session M1

Work in Progress Paper: The Importance of Freehand Sketching and Technical Drawing Techniques
Abstract
This Work in Progress Paper discusses the importance of freehand sketching and technical drawing skills for students studying computer aided drawing. Freehand sketching is the process of drawing without any measuring instruments and is accomplished via pencil and eraser only whereas technical drawing is drawing by use of drafting equipment including t-squared, drawing triangles, and French curves. Freehand sketching has been shown to be important because it connects students’ hand movements to their mental thinking ability. In addition, freehand sketching is a quick method of communicating and idea in a graphical format. With the advancement of computer technology, many universities have deemphasized freehand sketching and technical drawing skills over computer-aided design methods. This research aims to show how freehand sketching and technical drawing techniques taught to first-year civil engineering students impacts the students’ understanding of computer-aided design (CAD). The objective of this research is to determine the students’ perception of the helpfulness of the freehand and technical drawing and correlate these perceptions to the understanding of CAD techniques. Current as well as former students who have completed a first-year civil engineering graphics course will be surveyed to determine the effectiveness of this process.

Authors

Prof. Raymond Eugene McGinnis Jr. Christian Brothers University [biography]

Professor McGinnis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee. He has thirty-nine years of experience teaching engineering courses. He has taught thirty-four years at Christian Brothers University. He teaches courses in Transportation Engineering and Construction Engineering. Required courses include: Civil Engineering Graphics, Geomatics and Lab, Construction Materials and Lab, Highway Engineering and Engineering Economy. Elective courses include: Traffic Engineering, Heavy Construction Equipment and Methods, Construction Cost Estimating and Cost Control, Construction Management and Planning and Scheduling. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Tennessee. His professional experience includes bridge inspection and evaluation, roadway and interstate design, traffic planning and the design of earth-fill dams. He serves on the Board of Directors of the America Society of Civil Engineers West Tennessee Branch. He serves as the Treasurer for the Memphis Area Joint Engineers Council. He serves as Treasurer of the Memphis Chapter of the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers. He serves as the faculty advisor for Tennessee Delta Chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society and as the faculty advisor for the student engineering fraternity Theta Tau. Professor McGinnis served fifteen years as the Department Chair in Civil and Environmental Engineering. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Memphis teaching a class in Construction Engineering.
Dr. Andrew Assadollahi, P.E. Christian Brothers University [biography]

Dr. Assadollahi is a native Memphian and a 2005 graduate of Christian Brothers High School. Dr. Assadollahi earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in structural engineering from Christian Brothers University in 2009. He also earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Christian Brothers University in 2009, concentrating in applied differential equations. He earned a M.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Memphis in 2010 with a concentration in structural seismic engineering. Dr. Assadollahi
completed his Ph.D. in Engineering from The University of Memphis with a concentration in geo-structures in 2013. He currently an Associate Professor and Department Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Christian Brothers University. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Tennessee.

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