Instruction of a Computer Aided Design (CAD) Course usually involves topics from three major disciplines: geometric modelling, computer graphics and engineering design. The traditional lecture-based instruction focuses on the analytical and theoretical portions of these disciplines, which has helped the students build a strong knowledge base of these disciplines. However, it also leads to the fact that many students may still lack the experiences to handle real engineering problems even after taking this crucial course. This paper discusses how to adopt the CDIO-implemented projects to a third year CAD course and help students to achieve their learning goals. It also discusses how to use the outcome based assessment tools to evaluate the attributes of the learners, which include design and creativity, communication and collaboration, proficiency of using engineering tools, project management skills and selflearning capability. The study has found that stressing and implementing active learning experiences through these projects can significantly improve the learning outcomes.
