Appraising the Effects of Computer Aided Design (CAD) on the Creative Behaviour of Design Students in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Federal University of Technology Akure
As a result of the advancement of digital technologies, intellectual discourse on the role of innovations in design and what value Computer Aided Design (CAD) brings into the equation has been on the increase. This research sought to appraise the effects of CAD on the creative behaviour of students offering design related courses in tertiary institutions with a focus on the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Nigeria. From the literatures reviewed, Creative Behaviours Model (CBM) proposed by Musta’amal, Norman, & Hodgson was adopted and served as a framework for capturing the creative behaviour of the target population. This model characterised creativity into seven sub categories namely: novelty, appropriateness, motivation, fluency, flexibility, sensitivity, and insightfulness. A survey method was employed for this study and data were collected using well-structured online questionnaires to elicit responses from both students and CAD instructors in concerned departments in FUTA. The outcome of the study reveals the areas of application of CAD software and the level of engagement of students in CAD related courses. It also shows the assessment of students’ performance in CAD related courses from the perspective of the students and their instructors. The study concludes that CAD can enhance student’s creative behaviour and more integration of CAD related courses into the curricula of tertiary institutions in Nigeria will lead to higher competency and global competitiveness rating of future professional designers and engineers.
