Computer-aided design (CAD) programs are essential to engineering as they allow for better designs through low-cost iterations. While CAD programs are typically taught to undergraduate students as a job skill, such software can also help students learn engineering concepts. A current limitation of CAD programs (even those that are specifically designed for educational purposes) is that they are not capable of providing automated real-time help to students. To encourage CAD programs to build in assistance to students, we used data generated from students using a free, open source CAD software called Aladdin to demonstrate how student data combined with machine learning techniques can predict how well a particular student will perform in a design task. We challenged students to design a house that consumed zero net energy as part of an introductory engineering technology undergraduate course. Using data from 128 students, along with the scikit-learn Python machine learning library, we tested our models using both total counts of design actions and sequences of design actions as inputs. We found that our models using early design sequence actions are particularly valuable for prediction. Our logistic regression model achieved a >60% chance of predicting if a student would succeed in designing a zero net energy house. Our results suggest that it would be feasible for Aladdin to provide useful feedback to students when they are approximately halfway through their design. Further improvements to these models could lead to earlier predictions and thus provide students feedback sooner to enhance their learning.
翻译:计算机辅助设计(CAD)方案对于工程设计至关重要,因为它们能通过低成本迭代进行更好的设计。虽然CAD方案通常作为工作技能向本科生教授,但这种软件也可以帮助学生学习工程概念。 CAD方案(即使是那些专门为教育目的设计的)目前的限制是,它们无法为学生提供自动实时帮助。为了鼓励CAD方案为学生提供帮助,我们使用学生从学生获得的数据,使用免费、开放源的CAD软件Aladin来显示学生数据与机器学习技术相结合如何预测某个学生在设计任务中的表现如何。我们要求学生设计一个消耗零净能源的房子,作为介绍工程技术本科课程的一部分。使用128名学生的数据以及Scikit-lean Python机器学习图书馆,我们用设计行动的总数量和设计行动的顺序作为投入,测试了我们的模型。我们发现,使用早期设计序列行动的模式对于预测来说特别宝贵。我们物流回归模型实现了60 %的概率,如果一个学生能够提前设计出他们的学习结果,那么他们就可以在中学习中更早的模型。