2022 First-Year Engineering Experience

WIP: The Student's Perspective on CAD Software in a First-Year Civil Engineering Graphics Course

Presented at Technical Session M1

The Students’ Perspective on CAD Software in a First-Year Civil Engineering Graphics Course.

Abstract
This research focuses on the students’ perspective on computer-aided design (CAD) software in a first-year civil engineering graphics course. This paper aims to chronicle the students’ experience in transitioning from MicroStation to AutoCAD during the semester and to better gauge the extent of how much of each software package should be used. The instructor of the class begins the semester teaching MicroStation due to his experience that students typically have an easier time of learning AutoCAD after learning what seems to be the more difficult MicroStation. This research discusses how the instructor transitions from one software to another and will survey current and prior students who have completed the course to gain their perspective in how well the transition was achieved. The long-term goal of the course is to provide the students with the best educational experience and best prepare them for future classes, internships, and full-time employment. The results of this research summarize the student’s perceptions of each software package and their perceptions of transitioning between the software package to help determine how much of the semester should be spent on each software package.

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 and Environmental Engineering at Christian Brothers University. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Tennessee.

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