Autodesk has announced a new initiative for the education sector in
Australia and New Zealand to help remove barriers in software access for
students.
Autodesk will now offer secondary schools, vocational institutions and
universities in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) free access to the company’s
professional 3D design software and creativity apps.
Additionally, Autodesk’s Design the Future program provides secondary
school teachers with free software training, and project-based curricula that
integrates software and apps into standard lesson plans.
Valued at over $25 million AUD, Autodesk’s pledge is expected to help
educators at more than 3,400 schools across ANZ teach critical problem-solving
skills and prepare students for careers in STEAM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields.
Autodesk’s program will allow secondary schools to more easily offer a
multi-disciplinary approach to education while Universities can immerse
students in a broad range of leading 3D design tools and workflows that are
used across diverse professional industries.
Brenton Wyett, manager of Education programs at Autodesk explains that free
access to Autodesk software will enable schools to expose students to the
technological advancements that are revolutionising the professional world from
cloud and mobile technologies to 3D printing, helping to equip the next
generation of creative leaders and innovators in Australia.
Autodesk 3D design software, creativity apps and learning resources are
already being used in many ANZ schools to advance learning outcomes. Melbourne
secondary school, The King David School has incorporated Autodesk tools into
classwork, and also uses the software to support its FIRST Robotics and CanSat
programs, which have inspired an increasing number of students to consider a
career in engineering.
Newcastle-based Merewether High School also uses the software to support
their participation in the international F1 in Schools design competition.
University of Technology Sydney uses Autodesk software as the platform
for its Digital Design and Construction stream in their Bachelor of
Construction Project Management program. Heather MacDonald, associate professor
& head of the School of Built Environment, Faculty of Design Architecture
and Building, University of Technology Sydney notes that students are not only
able to work through traditional applications of the software such as
scheduling and clash detection, but can also render their designs as immersive,
photorealistic 3D environments allowing for more detailed critique, and
enhancing learning.
MacDonald observes that the Autodesk program has
also transformed the way cost management and construction technologies are
taught, enabling students to think seamlessly in three, four, and five
dimensions. She added that Autodesk’s commitment to offering free educational
software access will ensure that University of Technology Sydney is able to
continue delivering skills at the leading edge of the Australian construction
industry.