Proceedings of the AAEE2014 Conference Wellington, New Zealand, Copyright © E. Khoo, C. Hight, R. Torrens and M. Duke, 2014 “It runs slow and crashes often”: Exploring engineering students’ software literacy of CAD software Elaine Khoo, Craig Hight, Rob Torrens, and Mike Duke University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand Corresponding Author Email: torrens@waikato.ac.nz Structured Abstract BACKGROUND This paper reports on findings from a two-year funded research project exploring ‘software literacy’ - how it is understood, developed and applied in tertiary teaching-learning contexts and how this understanding serves new learning. We define software literacy as involving the expertise in understanding, applying, problem solving and critiquing software in pursuit of particular learning and professional goals. Although concepts such as computer literacy, information literacy, digital literacy, digital information literacy and related terms have been well discussed, these do not go far enough in focusing on lecturer and student critique of a particular software; critique in terms of its affordances and constraints and how these shape the way knowledge within a discipline is communicated to impact on student learning. Developing the ability to critique constitutes an essential characterisation of a 21 st century learner. In this paper, we report on a case study of a tertiary engineering course in a New Zealand university where the focus is on the learning and application of a 3-dimensional computer-aided design (3D CAD) software, SolidWorks, as a focus for exploring student understandings of software literacy. PURPOSE The research question guiding this study is: What understandings of disciplinary-specific software do students consider they learnt as part of their Engineering tertiary coursework? DESIGN/METHOD A qualitative interpretive methodology was adopted in this case study of a second year Engineering course focused on engineering design and process ideas. Data collected included student focus group interviews, an online student survey and lab observations of students’ SolidWorks learning. A constant comparison inductive approach to data analysis was adopted to identify emergent themes from the data. RESULTS The preliminary findings suggest a majority of students considered themselves to be confident and comfortable in engaging with new technologies, expressed a preference for a range of formal and informal strategies when learning about SolidWorks and developed a rudimentary awareness of its related affordances and constraints that impacted on their learning. Significant variations however exist in students' ability to comprehend, learn and apply SolidWorks in their coursework. While most students developed some level of competency in the software, students as a whole tended to fall short in their ability to critique the ways the software shaped their understanding of disciplinary knowledge. CONCLUSIONS These findings illustrate the complexities and challenges of SolidWorks teaching and learning and imply a need for lecturers and course designers to give thoughtful consideration to support students’ gaining the appropriate understanding of the affordances of the software and the disciplinary principles on which the software is premised. A case can also be made for a more formal recognition of software literacy as a means to empower students to more critically engage with software and its use. KEYWORDS Computer-aided design (CAD), SolidWorks, software, literacy, teaching and learning, university students