High Intensity Learning of CAD: Concept of a University Course.

This paper presents how individual learning of CAD can effectively be enhanced by teamwork in nearly all phases. This CAD course aims at lifting as many students as possible to a preferably high and well-defined level of competence. At the same time, the teacher's workload can be kept within limits that allow him or her to spend the majority of his or her capacity on supporting the individual student. In order to reach this aim in spite of common unfavourable teaching conditions a complex pedagogical concept of individual learning in large groups has been developed. Key elements of this concept are the following: - Building up and maintaining the student´s motivation by teamwork - Ensuring favourable conditions for a successful teaching performance inside teamwork - Orientating knowledge transfer at the storage system of the human brain - Clearly defining content and aimed at level of competence - Presenting contents and methods via hands-on projects to be performed in teamwork - Systematically addressing geometrical topics at optimal stages [1] - Using videos to convey principles, content and methods - Utilizing a graded system of exercises for building up individual competence in all teams - Employing a comprehensive system of individual support for the students inside teamwork - Using teamwork for all individual learning phases This course has already been carried out several times with great success and has been further optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]