Objective based instruction for learning outcomes of engineering/technical design graphics and computer aided design

The purpose of this paper is to determine, in engineering design graphics or computer aided design, what effects the type and knowledge of objectives of instruction have on learning outcomes. Two experimental variables which are type and knowledge of objectives are combined in a 2/spl times/3 factorial arrangement of treatments in teaching 'design process'. Student-subjects are randomly assigned to one of six experimental conditions or a learning control condition. The objectives used are either general design objectives or specific design objective (type), and are explicitly used either by teachers only, by teachers and students, or students only (knowledge). Hypothesis to be tested: although significant learning in ETDG/CAD 'design process' occurs for all above instructed conditions compared to test-only control, neither knowledge of the objectives nor type of objectives differentially influences performance on a criterion test.