Learning by Doing: Teaching Drafting and Design Through Hands-on Projects

Kimberly Horsley doesn’t do PowerPoint.

“I would say I'm not a traditional teacher, mostly because I don't know how to be a traditional teacher,” she said. “I like students to be more creative. I feel like they learn more by doing.” As a lecturer in the Engineering Drafting and Design Technology Program at Utah State University Eastern, Horsley feels that PowerPoint isn’t the best tool to help her students prepare for their careers.

“My classes are a lot more project-based,” she said. “I like to be able to tie it to something that they'll do in the field. I like to explain why we're doing things, and I don't like busy work. We do a lot of hands-on creating and building.”

Students got a taste of hands-on creating and building during a recent class project. They met with local business owners who were renovating buildings in downtown Helper, a town near Price. Students used their drafting and design skills to plan storefronts and Airbnbs, making the best use of the available space. These kinds of projects allow students to practice career skills while helping the community and boosting the local economy.

Horsley is also working to reimagine final exams. Instead of students sitting with pens and endless questions, why not something a little more interactive? Maybe 3D-printed puzzles or an escape room filled with codes and riddles with answers related to class material? Horsley's constant innovation means time spent in her classroom is never stale.

Even with all the technological advances of the last few decades, Horsley makes sure her students know how to do things the “old-fashioned way.” This includes drawing, calculating, and even framing and building models by hand. The theory behind the drafting and design, she explains, is just as important as the final product.

Horsley’s emphasis on learning by doing makes sense when you consider her background. She owned her own business for over 20 years, where she designed homes for local contractors.

“I bring a lot of real-life experience to the table,” she explains. “There’s a difference between going to school and actually working out in the field. They’re not the same.”

The engineering drafting and design technology program at USU Eastern is designed for students who are interested in the mechanical, architectural, and construction drafting fields. Students study basic drafting standards and learn computer-aided drawing skills. USU Eastern offers a one-year certificate of completion in Engineering Drafting and Design Technology Program.