Tara DiLullo Bennett reports on several case studies and initiatives in uncovering Autodesk's global investment in the education market.
How do you inspire the next generation of designers, architects, visual effects modelers or engineers in the U.S.? It's an education conundrum that's facing all grades, from K through collegiate level. While educators debate, the corporate sector is stepping up to find opportunities to help encourage and inspire the next generation, which in turn ensures vitality for their own futures in the global marketplace. Autodesk is one of those companies that are investing in education initiatives in a big way by introducing its varied software systems to educators and students -- exposing them to the excitement of what their industry has to offer by training prospective talent in a creative way for science and math-based careers. Paul Mailhot, senior director for worldwide education at Autodesk, talks to VFXWorld about why their company is investing globally in education, and highlights their initiatives with case studies from recent programs.
As the creator of such indispensable technological software packages as AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Combustion, ImageStudio, Maya and Revit Structure, Autodesk recognized that they are creating the tools to inspire future generations and that if they could reach the untapped talent early enough, their company could become a powerful force in also cultivating the talent that will someday use their tools. "We are making a significant investment in the educational market," Mailhot says about their educational investments. "We have always had a number of programs geared to education but in the last year and a half, we've really stepped up our investment and resources in terms of people and programs. We want to ultimately assist with one of the things here in the States, which is a lack of engineering talent and interested kids in engineering careers. We're working actively with organizations like Project Lead the Way, for example, that helps give kids exposure to math and science technology programs in secondary school in the hopes they will get interested in a career like that. There are also components of our various programs that get kids interested and excited about using our animation and multimedia technology in earlier grades. Maybe there's a career in design or animation or gaming that may be of interest to them and it fuels that workforce for our customer or commercial customer base, which is pretty important."
As a result, not only is Autodesk selling software, but also with these initiatives aimed at all educational levels, they are fostering the talent that will soon be hired by the companies they service with their software. Mailhot explains, "There's certainly an interest in making sure that our current customers and our future customers are using the latest technology from Autodesk. There are a lot of products in our portfolio and some companies out there aren't using our latest and greatest tools. For example, we've got tools in the architectural and engineering space for building information modeling, and that may not be something our current customer base is aware of or using. But kids coming out of college are certainly using these newer tools and can help introduce that into our customer base. At the same time, we are ultimately a U.S. based corporation and we want to spend time, energy and money to ensure we have a great workforce at home and some of these programs that we have rolling out support that. We are certainly in this move to spur more interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in secondary school -- these STEM initiatives. They are trying to get more kids excited about careers and we are certainly playing in a number of those programs, like the FIRST Robotics program."
An Autodesk Case Study: FIRST Robotics
The FIRST Robotics Competition inspires young people to appreciate science and technology through the design and construction of imaginative robots. A corporate sponsor since 1992, Autodesk donates the tools students need to imagine and create their robots. This year, Autodesk donated $17 million worth of software and training resources to the program. One of their participating schools is Los Altos High School, with FIRST Robotics Team #114, nicknamed Eagle Strike. The team used Autodesk Inventor to design and visualize their robot and then 3ds Max to animate the robot, to see how it would perform in the real competition. The team took home the Silicon Valley Regional Visualization Award for their animations created with 3ds Max.
Recently, Autodesk has introduced in-depth curricula that are broken down and targeted into specific age ranges to encourage teachers and schools to use their company's software to bridge the science/technology gap in classrooms. Focus programs for 2007 include Autodesk Design Kids for seventh and eighth graders. Design Kids "takes students through cool projects, enabling them to engage in academically relevant, creative problem-solving challenges using exciting computer-based design and visualization tools. Through a variety of fun architecture and engineering-based projects, students can make the connection between underlying concepts that link science, math and other subjects together in real-world applications." The projects are also created to meet or reflect ITEA Standards for Technological Literacy, NCTM Standards for School Mathematics, NCTE Standards for Language Arts and NCSESA Standards for Science.
A program geared toward high school students is the Autodesk Design Academy, which uses AutoCAD to "engage students in real-world architectural and engineering projects through project-based learning. The course builds self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating students to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering." Other high school students that might be interested in visual effects and modeling are targeted with the Autodesk Animation Academy, which they describe as "a blend of art and academics in an engaging learning environment." Utilizing 3ds Max, students "use visual communication tools and techniques to explore specific topics, such as the physics of planetary motion, archeological reconstruction of the Parthenon, the digestive system, forensics, weather, and more. Students then use 3D animation technology to demonstrate and present what they have learned."
Case Study: San Francisco's Build SF Institute
Mailhot cites the San Francisco's Build SF Institute as one of the successful programs they have visited recently. According to the school's bio, the program is a "half-day high school program for students interested in design, construction, engineering and architecture. In the past 13 years, the program has evolved from an after-school and summer program to an integral part of the San Francisco Unified School District. Students work on real-world problems using the professional industry-leading tools such as 3ds Max and Revit. Instructors teach basic principles through applied design and project-based learning. For example, instead of teaching students the concept of slope (rise over run) through the traditional lecture-homework-testing model, students actually apply the concept when they need to add a staircase to a building design project. Students enrolled in the program also work regularly with mentors from some of San Francisco's leading architecture, interior-design, engineering and contracting firms, providing further exposure to the possibilities of careers in design, engineering and architecture." Mailhot says they were able to see how the program and the use of their software as a creative conduit even helped to open other creative doors for the students. "All their interests are diverse and their skill levels are diverse. They were using 3D Studio Max in an architectural environment, meaning they were teaching design and building layout with both 3D and Revit. There were some kids that didn't want to play with an engineering package, but they saw this animation visualization tool and they took off with what they were able to learn. It's all about getting kids more passionate."
Lastly, the Autodesk Design Institute program was created for post-secondary institutions. Using Autodesk's Revit Building, Civil 3D and Inventor 11, students are given high-end architectural, mechanical engineering or civil engineering design projects with real-world implications and challenges.
An Autodesk Case Study: Savannah College of Art and Design
With several dozen degreed programs, 23 major fields of study and more than 40 minor fields, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is the largest art school in the U.S. It is also one of the best. For its restoration of many historic Savannah buildings, SCAD has won recognition from both the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Our curriculum is designed to mimic the real-world of design," says Huy Sinh Ngo, chair of architecture and director of electronic design at SCAD. "We give our students the best tools now, so they can quickly and effectively make the transition into their new profession upon graduation. That's why we chose Revit Architecture." For young architects just starting their training, it's especially important to understand how to design at the whole-building level, adds Ngo. "Revit Architecture is the perfect tool for that."
SCAD places a strong emphasis on state-of-the-art computer technology, especially in the graduate programs within architecture, interior design and historic preservation. For example, eight years ago the college began integrating AutoCAD and Autodesk VIZ software into its curriculum. "Because this approach has been so successful, we decided to introduce Revit Architecture to help the students learn building systems, system integration, and design. And whenever a student changes anything, Revit Architecture automatically updates all the 2D information -- such as floor plans, elevations and detail drawings. Everything is connected. "Students appreciate that a lot," continues Ngo. "It saves them a tremendous amount of time and lets them focus on design, instead of on tedious manual tasks."
Reflecting on what they've achieved so far, Mailhot says, "Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the progress we've made. We've been able to do a number of things like building relationships with key universities around the world. At the same time, we've also been able to build out a student and faculty online portal with over 65,000 students on this site who are actively networking and downloading software." The Autodesk Student Engineering and Design Community was launched in September 2006 and it's been the jewel in the crown of their initiatives so far. The Community "allows students in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial design and gaming and animation free access to the professional tools they need to bring their ideas to life. To date, more than 63,000 students and educators have joined the community from more than 2,500 institutions in 78 countries." Mailhot continues, "They are solving their issues and questions by taking online courses. They are also exposed to thousands of jobs that our customers are putting up on the site. I am extremely proud of that and very pleased around the leadership position we've taken. I think it will be a huge, help with students and faculty around the world. I'm also proud of the solutions we've created for academia, including training and support and curriculum that we make available to educators at really deep discounts. As for future goals, we want more kids and faculty on the site and driving partnerships all over the world."
Tara DiLullo Bennett is an East coast-based writer whose articles have appeared in publications such as SCI FI Magazine, SFX and Lost magazine. She is the author of the books 300: The Art of the Film and 24: The Official Companion Guide: Seasons 1 & 2.
