Onshape delivers modern computer-aided design (CAD) for education. This unique product development platform combines 3D CAD, collaboration, PDM, and analytics tools in the cloud. Before we can understand how Onshape is beneficial for education, let’s take a look at why engineering professionals embrace it. Then will take a closer look at different use examples of Onshape in the classroom. Finally, we will break down how this innovative CAD program can help you and your students.

Why Onshape?

Onshape allows engineers to do more of what they love – designing.

• Onshape gets things done faster. This product development platform accelerates speed to market. It is the only platform of its kind that can instantly be deployed on any mobile device or computer. Since CAD can run on an internet browser, team members can actually design or collaborate after meeting in a car on their phone. Teams, no matter where they are located, can complete projects faster. Imagine being able to experiment with design alternatives without affecting the work of others!
• It’s easy to manage. One unified secure cloud workspace means no downloads, installations, or license codes. This allows more time for designing instead of being bogged down by software headaches.
• Safety. Security risks are eliminated by Onshape’s database-driven architecture which also allows for IP protection. Designs are secure at all times thanks to strict role-based controls.

Onshape for Education

In February of 2021, Onshape celebrated having one million education users. During the pandemic, this cloud CAD program was used by educators to help save STEM courses from middle school up to graduate school. It proved to be an excellent solution for dealing with unpredictable learning challenges.

Here are some examples of how Onshape impacted the learning experiences at universities ad K-12 schools:

• At RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology, Onshape was used by first-year mechanical engineering students to improve team collaboration. Senior Lecturer, Kate Leipold, was first attracted to the platform because it offered improved CAD accessibility. Many of her students preferred Macs that did not run the installed on-premise CAD software. However, the feature that really stood out to her was the real-time collaboration. Onshape allowed multiple students to work on the same 3D design simultaneously. This allows the students to see other’s changes as they happened, something that is not possible in file-based CAD. “We probably couldn’t do half of the CAD designs and projects that we do if we didn’t have Onshape,” she said. “Being able to work with other people at the same time is incredible. It makes group projects so much easier and faster.”
• At the University of Wisconsin, Onshape is embraced by the Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab. The Lab’s Director, Lennon Rodgers, gives this insight into their experience. “Most of the students who took this course had never used CAD before, and so I think it’s a testament to say that they all felt comfortable using Onshape right away. I think a lot of business people can be intimidated by engineering. Onshape lowers that barrier and makes it easier to collaborate.” He also found that the cloud SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) delivery of product development tools is of great value as an administrator. Instead of having to spend hours helping students install CAD software, you simply create an account with their email and they are up and running.
• In New York, Chris Hurd heads up the Career and Technical Development (CTE) department at the Cazenovia Central School District. This district uses Onshape for five engineering classes from 8th grade to 12th grade. Chris notes that “Back in the day, you couldn’t take an eighth-grader through a CAD program because it would take them three days just to figure out how to log on. Today, it’s drop-dead simple for a teacher to do a few tutorials and all of a sudden, their kids are making models in 3D. You can actually have students working together in a document with the teacher. It amazes me how quickly technology is changing things for the better now.”
• Students can prove what they have learned with the Certified Onshape Associate exam. “The biggest value in earning an Onshape certification is that it is something you can show the world that says, ‘I have taken the effort to learn something in such a way that it’s recognized by the owner of the product that I’m good at,’” stated software engineer John Toebes, a Mentor for the Cardinal Gibbons High School FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Team in North Carolina. This certification can be used as a final exam for a CAD course as well as a method to validate CAD knowledge.

Onshape Education Enterprise Benefits

This program gives faculty and educators the tools they need to manage and support a CAD program of any size. Having a 3D CAD platform that is web-based means that your students can access the program on any device where there is an internet connection. Onshape Education Enterprise is a professional-grade solution that offers advanced features that provide unparalleled functionality.

Here are three reasons why you’ll love Onshape Education Enterprise:

1. Onboarding is easy: It is easy to get started. It is easy to set up classes and to manage access across your institution.
2. Insightful analytics: You get access to data that shows you how students are performing. You can also see how much time students are spending on their assignments and view a history of their actions.
3. Administration capabilities: You can easily set global permissions and enforce your security policies. You can also customize the platform with your logo and URL.

Ready to get started with Onshape Education Enterprise? Please contact Studica to learn more.

Sources:
https://www.onshape.com/en/resource-center/innovation-blog/celebrating-one-million-education-users-onshapes-classroom-impact-beyond-the-pandemic
https://www.onshape.com/en/resource-center/innovation-blog/how-cloud-cad-can-save-your-stem-class