Digital Visualization in the Teaching of Cognitive Visualization (2001)
article⁄Digital Visualization in the Teaching of Cognitive Visualization (2001)
abstract⁄Professional design offices claim that our graduates have difficulties with their freehand perspective drawing skills. This fact, which has become obvious over the last 5 years, is parallel to a clear tendency towards the use of 3dimensional digital imagery in the projects of our students. Frequently, faculty tends to blame the computer for the shortcomings of our students in the use of traditional media, yet there is no clear evidence on the source of the blame. At a more fundamental level, the visualization skills of our students are questioned. This paper will explain how faculty teaching design communication techniques, with traditional and digital media, are working together in the development of a teaching methodology that makes use of computers in support of our student’s training on cognitive visualization skills, namely ‘The ThirdEye Method’. The paper describes the ThirdEye Method as an alternative to traditional methods. As evidence of the benefits offered by the ThirdEye Method, the paper presents the results of testing it against traditional methods among freshman students. At the end, the paper draws as conclusion that computers are not the main source of the problem but a potential solution.