CompuServe Thread

Thought I would post this and the following messages from over in the NAAUG section on ACAD. Here is the original message and my response, the overview of skill stds is in the next message. wayne ================================= Original question: ============================ HI, I'm an instructor of COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN ARCHITECTURE at a technical college. I'm hoping to get some help defining what might be expected from my students after graduation. I want to write a new curriculum to meet the needs of the architectural/cad industry. What skills should they have as they enter the field relative to : AutoCAd, Architecture, Business, or ? Thank you in advance for your responce, the kids will benefit. Jim Moore ============================================ Wayne's reply: ============================================ Gee, funny you should ask Jim, do I have the answer for you! The National Skills Standards for CADD has recently just completed the first of its two phase, three year process to identify, articulate, test and certify a set of nationally recognized, voluntarily adopted (by industry) skill standards for Computer Aided Drafting and Design. These have been developed under a grant issued via the Dept of Education and Dept of Labor through the Foundation of Industrial Modernization (FIM). The first Phase has produced the articulation of a set of skill competency statements for CADD and this document has just been printed. The full, four color document is available for $22.50 from: FIM 1331 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Suite 1410 North Washington, DC 20004 202-662-8960 (tell 'em I sent you) Autodesk has been heavily involved and supportive of this and other National Skill Standards. For instance there is also a new one for Advanced Manufacturing just started. I have been serving on commissions and committees on Skill Stds in the US and other countries for over two years and can assure you that this is NOT a fad, and NOT a US only issue. Furthermore, while the standard itself is an industrial one, it clearly provides just what you are looking for as an educator in terms of the outcomes industry needs in the individuals it is hiring. The CADD Skills Standard committees were primarily made up of industry CADD users and managers from a wide range of industry applications and levels. Educators were also on these committees to provide there perspective and to be fully aware of the standard as it evolved such that the issues of how education can best utilize such Skill Standards can be determined and assured. The CADD Skill Std. document covers: TECHNICAL SKILLS: Fundamental Drafting Skills Fundamental Computing Skills Basic CADD Skills Advanced CADD Skills SUPPLEMENTS: Related Academic Skills Communication Skills Math Skills Science Skills Employability Skills Recommended Hours of Instruction Recommended Qualifications of a CADD Instructor Please note that these CADD Skills are NOT specific to any discipline such as architecture. They are instead, and by design, the "core skills" that are needed for any application of CADD technology. These core skills would have the "flavor" of a specific discipline added to them through the application of industry specific standards, corporate standards, and so on when they are implemented in the field. As I mentioned earlier, the industry members on the committees that developed the standards came from a comprehensive collection of industries or disciplines including architecture, A/E/C, manufacturing, mechanical, GIS, electronics, etc. Phase II which has just begun and will go last another 18 months, involves the further development of the competency statements into itemized measurable skills and a national assessment program for individual CADD users. If you give me a FAX number I can have a more detailed description of this Skill Standard, the companies that contributed to its development, etc. sent to you. If there is enough interest by others for this I will work at delivering this here on-line as well. For now, I will put an overview of US Skill Standards that I wrote, in a separate message here for you and others. Let me know if there are futher specific questions I can help out with. I will also be VERY interested in your critique of this document and how useful it is to your initial question, after you have received and read it. Hope this helps for now, wayne