%0 Journal Article
%T Improving students¡¯ freehand sketching skills in mechanical engineering curriculum
%A Jacek Uziak
%A Ning Fang
%J International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education
%@ 2050-4586
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/0306419017744156
%X Freehand sketching is a fundamental skill in mechanical engineering and many other engineering disciplines. It not only serves as a communication tool among engineers, but plays a critical role in engineering design and problem solving. However, as computer-aided drafting has replaced traditional drawing classes nowadays, the training of students¡¯ freehand sketching skills has been almost completely eliminated in modern engineering curricula. This paper describes the attributes of freehand sketching and its roles in several essential aspects of engineering; in particular, in its roles in problem solving, of which current literature has ignored. Representative examples are provided to show students¡¯ freehand sketching skills in problem solving in a foundational undergraduate mechanical engineering course. Pedagogical suggestions are made on how to teach freehand sketching to engineering students
%K Freehand sketching
%K engineering design
%K problem solving
%K pedagogy
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0306419017744156