THE STATUS OF TODAYS DESCRIPTIVE GEOMETRY RELATED EDUCATION (CAD/CG/DG) IN EUROPE

The goal of my presentation is to explain what Descriptive Geometry is good for and in which way the Descriptive Geometry education is carried out in European countries.By definition, Descriptive Geometry is a method to study 3D geometry through 2D images. It provides insight into structure and metrical properties of spatial objects, processes and principles. According to this, Descriptive Geometry courses in central Europe cover not only projection theory, but also modeling techniques for curves, surfaces, and solids thus offering insight into a broad variety of geometric shapes. ‘Learning by doing’ is an important methodological principle in this subject, and one traditional goal is to develop and to refine the students' problem-solving skills.Drawings are the guide to geometry but not the main aim. As the drawing tools have drastically changed in the last 15 years, this had consequences for the Descriptive Geometry education. CAD packages replace manual drawings. This made the subject more interesting and attractive for pupils and students because they now can produce high-quality rendered graphics as output. Of course, this development takes place at the cost of the training in geometric reasoning.