Five Suggestions for CAD Instructors
1. Tell your students about free CAD software:
Most CAD software packages now offer free or relatively inexpensive software for students and instructors. Autodesk makes many of their products available for free for students at students.autodesk.com. The SolidWorks 2011 Student Design Kit and Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0 student software come with our related titles for free when ordered through a school bookstore. JourneyEd.com also sells various software packages at a reduced price to students and faculty.
2. Take advantage of SDC's instructor resources:
Many of our textbooks come with premade instructor resources that can save you countless hours of preparation. They can include things such as PowerPoint presentations, answer keys, sample exams, quizzes, additional assignments and more. Many of these resources are available from our website as an instant download for registered instructors! Resources can be accessed by navigating to a book's details page. If resources are available there will be a link in the right most column next to the book's cover.
3. Encourage your students to become certified:
Certification is good for you and your students. Many organizations and software companies offer various types of certification. Students who are certified stand out to potential employers in this competitive job market. Also, showing that your students are getting certified makes it easier to assess your students progress and demonstrate the value of the course. Many of our textbooks now incorporate, or are dedicated to, preparing students for these certification programs.
4. Provide your students with links to resources and downloads:
If you decided to adopt any of our textbooks you can help your students by listing them on your course webpage. Many of our books feature free downloads that can be accessed from our website along with information about corrections to the book and purchasing information. By providing your students a link to the book's page you can make it easier for them to access these resources and be better prepared for class.
5. Utilize free online resources:
Most software vendors provide a wealth of resources for instructors to use. Here is a list of some of the most popular resources.