The Use of Moodle Distance Learning System in CAD Education Three Year Experiences

Z. P. Rastovic*, R. B. Stulic
Mechanical Engineering High School/CAD, Novi Sad, Serbia
Faculty of Technical Science, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
*

Index Terms: Descriptive geometry, Cad, Moodle.

The major purpose of the project is the effort to make familiar three dimensional (3D) objects modeling
and image analysis using Moodle distance lerning systema in local and global computer network. We have
observed that, although pupils easily learn the use of various CAD softwares, the essence of the geometric
structure of those objects as well as their 2D representations remain somehow mysterious and unclear to
them. For that reason we addressed the Vojvodina Provincial Ministry of education proposing the
introduction of the computer aided (CA) teaching of certain topics concerning spatial visualization abilities at
the lower level of education that is, in the primary school, addressing the pupils of age of 13 and 14. This
might help them choose engineering disciplines which demand, being a known fact, well developed spatial
skills.
Grace to the support of the Provincial Ministry The Vojvodina centre for long distance learning was
established in December 2007 with the aim to introduce this project into the school system around the whole
region of Vojvodina providing a supplementary method to present school system.
Through this project we tend to start the development of spatial skills at lower level of education. Some
basic facts of the descriptive geometry methods are to be introduced in primary schools. At the secondary
level, the understanding of a complex 3D object is to be carried out through its analysis by its geometric
genesis out of simple primitives, directly in 3D representation. After that various 2D representations of the
object are being performed. In this way, after fully understanding the geometric structure of the 3D object,
the 2D representations are presented to pupils so that the connection from 3D to 2D is trained. Having gained
both knowledge and ability in this matter, afterwards, at the university level of education the spatial skills
might be both trained and gained much more successfully through various courses of descriptive geometry
through the inverse process: the ability of visualizing 3D out of 2D representations of complex forms.
What is important to mention is that the attitude of pupils of the Mechanical Engineering High School in
Novi Sad has changed: some years ago pupils showed poor interests in learning, but nowadays we have
many enthusiast hard working pupils participating at numerous national competitions of 3D modeling in
mechanical engineering disciplines, sometimes being finalists or even prize winners of the competitions.
The structure of the module is the standard Moodle distance learning module. After a brief theoretical
introduction an analysis of a particular 3D model through its geometric synthesis is given. Each user can
follow his/her progress through proposed questionnaire. Synchronizing the datas from local and global
Moodle distance learning platform full information of each pupil advancement in the topic is obtained.
We believe that the proposed model of learning is adequate for engineering education since starting at
younger age level spatial skills are more gradually developed both during classes and at any spare time
pupils feel like being engaged in the topic. It is of particular interest to follow the pupils that started these
courses in the primary schools, nowadays being 3rd grade pupils of the High School, which plan to enter the
Faculty of Technical Sciences at which as a rule, students that finished grammar schools faced less
difficulties in disciplines concerning spatial skills than students having finished high schools.

REFERENCES
Z. P. Rastovic Descriptive Geometry and CAD/ CAM in elementary and high school, X XIII conference of descriptive
Geometry and engineering graphic MoNGeometrija 2006, Novi Sad, 22.-24. September 2006, pp. 90-91.
[2] Z. P. Rastovic Suggestion for Network Organization Scheme in Schools of Vojvodina and Applied Moodle Distance Learning
System in Global and Local Network , SISY 2007 5th International Symposium on Intelligent Systems and Informatics,
Subotica, 2007. pp. 230-236.
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