New version of SolidWorks Education Edition nearly doubles e-learning content

Expanded 3D CAD curriculum gives instructors more time for individual instruction and special projects

CONCORD, Mass., June 15, 2006 ? SolidWorks Corporation today introduced SolidWorks® Education Edition 2006-2007 software, the latest version of the leading 3D CAD product for students in middle school through graduate school.

Available today, the new product includes nearly double the e-learning content of the previous edition with self-paced instruction covering everything from making a simple part to validating the design using finite element analysis methods.

The SolidWorks Education Edition 2006-2007 includes a DVD with detailed curricula for two new student projects as well as videos, tutorials, sketches, editable PowerPoint presentations, a hands-on ?test drive,? and student and instructor guides for its integrated COSMOSMotion? analysis software.

?The SolidWorks Education Edition 2006-2007 enhancements squarely benefit the instructor,? said Michael Bastoni, technology education teacher at Plymouth North High School in Massachusetts . ?There's a wealth of curriculum support so we can spend more of our time on individual instruction than on developing standard lessons. SolidWorks and COSMOS® software also help me create richly textured educational environments in which students make seamless connections between science, technology, engineering, and math. These connections will make students valuable assets on any technical team.?

The new student projects in the SolidWorks Education Edition 2006-2007 DVD include a medieval, catapult-like device called a trebuchet and balsa-wood bridge. The trebuchet project includes a 200-page electronic workbook consisting of step-by-step instructions for making parts, assemblies, and drawings, and for analyzing structures with COSMOS software. It also includes calculations so students can understand the physics and mathematics behind the device's operation. Instructors who want to take their classes beyond design and into actual construction can ? with just a few simple mouse clicks ? order selected wooden and steel parts through SolidWorks Corporation's partnership with GEARS Educational Systems.

This project exemplifies SolidWorks Corporation's ongoing commitment to integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Earlier this year, SolidWorks announced it has granted SolidWorks software and STEM curriculum to more than 1,000 educators.

The balsa bridge construction project is a tradition in engineering education, which SolidWorks Education Edition 2006-2007 supports with movie files and sketches for easy implementation from middle school on up. Students in the project assemble two-foot bridges out of quarter-inch balsa dowels, then see how much weight their bridges can support. Superior designs have held hundreds of pounds.

The balsa wood bridge curriculum in SolidWorks Education Edition 2006-2007 conforms fully to Technology Student Association competition guidelines, making it easy for SolidWorks users to go for the gold on a national scale or simply compare their achievements against the champions'.

The Hands-On Test Drive in SolidWorks Education Edition 2006-2007 is a multimedia demonstration of a SeaBotix LBV150 fully submersible remotely operated vehicle.

?There's no single right way to assemble a bridge or design the trebuchet, so these projects are ideal for teaching critical thinking skills along with 3D CAD and engineering fundamentals,? said Marie Planchard , director of education for Solidworks Corporation. ?The software itself is easy to learn, and the supporting curriculum is designed to provide instructors with the flexibility to design and assign lessons as they please. As a result, educators can maximize their effectiveness in the classroom, and students can learn to design better products now and throughout their careers.?

SolidWorks Education Edition 2006-2007 includes all the elements of the commercial version of SolidWorks Office Premium 2006, including SolidWorks Routing, COSMOSWorks® Designer, and COSMOSMotion. It also includes COSMOSFloWorks? for fluid flow and thermal analysis.

SolidWorks Education Edition 2006-2007 is available now for purchase in 12 languages worldwide through SolidWorks authorized resellers. To locate an authorized reseller in your region, visit http://www.solidworks.com/pages/company/SolidWorksOfficeWorldwide.html .

About SolidWorks

Powered by the Dassault Systèmes 3DExperience Platform, SolidWorks 3D applications help millions of engineers and designers succeed through innovation. SolidWorks delivers an intuitive experience in product design, simulation, publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment. For the latest news, information, or an online demonstration, visit our Web site (www.3ds.com/solidworks) or call 1-800-693-9000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            1-800-693-9000       (outside of North America, call +1-781-810-5011).

 

About Dassault Systèmes

Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, provides business and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations.  Its world-leading solutions transform the way products are designed, produced, and supported.  Dassault Systèmes’ collaborative solutions foster social innovation, expanding possibilities for the virtual world to improve the real world.  The group brings value to over 150,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 140 countries.  For more information, visit www.3ds.com.

 

CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, SIMULIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA, GEOVIA, EXALEAD, NETVIBES,  3DSWYM and 3DVIA are registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

 

SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation in the US and other countries. 3DVIA is a registered trademark and 3DVIA Composer is a trademark of Dassault Systèmes in the US and other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2012 Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp.