A Dynamic 3D Pedagogical Model for Teaching and
Learning in Clothing Functions with E-learning Practice
Speaker: Ming-Liang Cao
Author: Ming-Liang Cao, Yi Li, Josephine Csete
E-mail: tccml@polyu.edu.hk
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
7, June 2010
Background

Clothing functions is increasingly important in a wide range of, for
example, clothing design and fashion marketing. The key issue of
learning clothing functions lies on the demanding of the individual
needs or some specific fashion market. One of the most difficulties in
learning clothing functions is to clearly understand the detail
requirements behind a lot of information. Generally, the students is
used to study in class or do experiments in laboratory, which make
them get more knowledge, theory and experiment data than analyzing
the data to get a convictive conclusion. So how to get the learning in
both class and laboratory effectively will be a problem. Our research
concentrates on solving this problem by combining the learning with
computer simulation technologies.
Introduction

This paper presents a dynamic pedagogical model for 3D teaching and learning
clothing functions with computer simulation technologies to enhance
university students’ learning outcomes. The 3D teaching and learning relates to
inside classroom (classroom, lecture room .etc), outside classroom (laboratory,
marketplace.etc), and computer together with internet (computer lab .etc). By
3D learning, students enter a new level of engagement with the material and
greater critical understanding. They reach a deeper level of learning and a
higher level of reflection. The dynamic pedagogical model involving instruction,
learning and assessment components were found to improve university
students’ understanding, critical analysis and application of knowledge. How
the instruction, learning and assessment modules are applied depends on both
the students and the subject such as major of students, time available for
teaching and learning, number of students, computer ability of students and
also feedback from students in the first class etc. This paper describes the
experience of designing the model and implementing it along with a computer
simulation for university students’ learning clothing functions. Useful
information was obtained for the further improvement of the pedagogical
model design and also the further development of a virtual lab in Second Life
to enhance students’ learning outcomes in clothing functions.
Benefits of the simulation study to students
1
Graphics were included to provide specific visualizations of
simulation results
2
All opportunities and activities presented via scientific simulation
technologies were related to real life learning
3
The importance of scientific simulation environments would be
recognized to promote meaningful learning
4
5
Scientific simulation methods were used to facilitate creative learning of
concrete images and to enhance memory and understanding
Computer-based interactions between teachers and students were
emphasized
3D Teaching and Learning
3D Teaching and Learning
Pedagogical model for 3D T&L in clothing functions
Pedagogical model for 3D T&L and implement guidelines
Dynamic pedagogical model for 3D T&L with computer simulation study

In this paper, we have identified three elements (instruction, learning, and assessment) as the key
dimensions which have the greatest influence on student achievement. We present a dynamic
pedagogical model in which these three elements are combined. In this model students can cycle
though this process many times in or just about any subject they are studying. How the three
features are applied depends on the students and the subject. Major of the students, time
available for teaching, number of students, computer ability of students and feedback from
students in the first class are examples of relevant contextual factors that must be considered.
Instruction design
Learning design
Assessment design
E-learning Practice

A paper “Computer Thermal Functional Simulation to Enhance Students’ Learning
on Fashion Product Development” [1] has presented a trial of using the computer
thermal functional simulation for enhancing university students’ learning
outcomes in “Fashion Product Development” in semester one of 2008/2009. Three
kinds of garments (casual wear, active casual wear and active sportswear) were
designed for the students to analyze the market potential in three cities (Hong
Kong, Vancouver and Basra) with different climatic conditions. With the assistance
of a CAD simulation system, the students could more easily find out the effects by
comparing the visualization results especially the core temperature effects of 12
designed simulation cases. The study describes some helpful approaches to the
incorporation of computer-based scientific simulation teaching utilizing clothing
thermal functional technologies to facilitate student’s understanding of the clothing
market potential analysis. Student feedback questionnaires were given to students
after the trail e-learning study. Students’ feedback on this e-learning study is in
order to help improve it.
Page 13
Design of the simulation study
6. Analysis method
5. Results collection
4. Instruction design
1. Participants
Study
2. Method design
3. Question design
Participants
Subject:
Fashion Product
Development
Major:
Technology
Marketing
Design
Student number: 67
Question design
Garments:
Casual wear
Active casual wear
Active sportswear
Markets:
Temperatures:
Hong Kong (China)
Vancouver
(Canada)
Basra (Iraq)
10 ℃
20 ℃
30 ℃
40 ℃
Metabolic rate:
100 W/m2
300 W/m2
500 W/m2
Annual temperature of three typical climatic cities
Data source: http://www.bbc.co.uk
Physical effects according to the change of core temperature
No.
Indication
Core temperature
(℃)
Ⅰ
Death
24~26
Ⅱ
Medical
emergency
Effects
Irregular heart beat or respiratory arrest
<32
Hallucination, delirium, complete confusion,
extreme sleepiness
Intense shivering, numbness and bluish/grayness of
the skin
Ⅲ
Hypothermia
<35
Ⅳ
Normal
36.5~37.5
Ⅴ
Hot
37.5~39
Sweating, feeling very uncomfortable, slightly
hungry to flushed and very red. Fast heart rate and
breathlessness
Ⅵ
Hyperthermia
>39
Fainting, dehydration, weakness, vomiting,
headache and dizziness may occur as well as profuse
sweating
Ⅶ
Medical
emergency
>41
Fainting, vomiting, severe headache, dizziness,
confusion, hallucinations, delirium and drowsiness
can occur
Normal
Data source: http://en.wikipedia.org
Question design


A total of 9 questions, which can be similarly sorted to three groups according
to the markets, were designed for students to analyze the market potential.
The months for seasons of three places were uniformly set as:




Spring (March, April and May),
Summer (June, July and August),
Autumn (September, October and November)
Winter (December, January and February)
Sample questions




The questions for the Hong Kong market illustrate the conceptual understanding that was
expected. When presented with a garment description of specific properties such as
“100% cotton of 1mm thickness”, students were expected to answer questions such as the
following:
Question 1: This garment is not appropriate for the following Hong Kong apparel markets:

a. Casual wear for summer

b. Casual wear for winter

c. Casual wear for spring and autumn

d. Casual wear for spring, summer and autumn
Question 2: This garment is appropriate for the following Hong Kong apparel markets:

a. Active casual wear for summer

b. Active casual wear for winter

c. Active casual wear for spring and autumn

d. Active casual wear for the whole year
Question 3: This garment is not appropriate for the following Hong Kong apparel markets:

a. Active sportswear for winter

b. Active sportswear for summer

c. Active sportswear for spring and autumn

d. Active sportswear for spring, summer and autumn
Instruction for the simulation study
Relationship between simulation and question
12 cases for simulation
Case No.
Garment style
Metabolic rate
(W/m2)
Temperature (℃)
Case 1~4
Casual wear
100
10,20,30,40
Case 5~8
Active casual wear
250
10,20,30,40
Case 9~12
Active sportswear
500
10,20,30,40
Instruction for the simulation study
Step
Property
What to do
Selecting the activity and the duration for the protocol
Environment
Specifying the environment for the activity
Who
Basic human body information and human physiological
properties
Garment
Selecting the garment style and designing the fiber and fabric
material properties of the clothing
Basic steps for simulation
Simulation results of 10, 20, 30 and 40 ℃ for casual wear (100 W/m2)
Simulation results of 10, 20, 30 and 40 ℃ for active casual wear (300 W/m2)
Simulation results of 10, 20, 30 and 40 ℃ for active sportswear (500 W/m2)
Flow chart for analyzing question
Question
Season
Place
Annual
temperature
Analyzing the temperature
Selecting the simulation
results
Simulation
results
Analyzing the core
temperature
Getting answer?
No
Analyzing the skin
temperature and relative
humidity of skin
Yes
Skin temperature;
Relative humidity
of skin
Done
Garment
syle
Flow chart for analyzing question


According to many physiological studies, keeping core temperature within 37±0.5 ℃ is
essential for human survival. Beyond this range, humans will feel substantial discomfort.
The maximum deviations of the core temperature are approximately 2 ℃ from the normal
level. Beyond this range, serious physical threats, such as hyperthermia and convulsions
in case of high core temperature; and hypothermia and cardiac fibrillation in case of low
core temperature, may occur. More extreme variations in core temperature may result in
death.
Some suggestions for students to analyze the questions:

(1) Core temperature shown in the table of physical effects is the key factor while
only “Normal” and “Hot” effects can be acceptable for comfort;

(2) Skin temperature and relative humidity of skin data can be used as a
complementary reference combined with personal knowledge and daily life
experience.
Improvement by Students’ Feedback
Another paper “Effects of an E-learning Case Computer Simulation on Student’s
Learning of Clothing Functional Design and Student Feedback” [2] presents a
pedagogical study to use student feedback to help improve the effects of e-learning
case computer simulation for enhancing the students’ learning outcomes.
Page 29
Student Feedback Questionnaire
Page 30
Instructional Design Improvement

By analyzing the feedback of students, some useful information can be
concluded to improve the pedagogical design of computer simulation-based
study as following:

(1) Background information, learning process and clear assessment
criterion should be passed to students at the beginning of e-learning study.

(2) Enough learning resources and instructions should be given to explain
the relationship between e-learning study and subject study.

(3) Solid technology environments, user-friendly interface and clear
simulation instruction are very important to improve students’ learning
outcomes by implementing computer simulation-based approach.
Page 31
E-Learning Practice
Instructional Design Improvement

Meanwhile, from the paper report organization , the students achieved more
learning outcomes such as:

(1) Concept of clothing functional design;

(2) Understanding the design process by using computer-based simulation;

(3) The reason of using the computer-based simulation system;

(4) Self-case design by using simulations.
Page 33
Excerpts of Students’Paper Reports

Case 1: The reason of using the computer-based simulation system

“The computer-based simulation system and arranged to different cases by
varying some design factors were designed to help finding out the best
combination of the type of fabric, the garment style, for the specific market
and to give the best thermal functional performance to the garment, and
raises its design values. Additionally, it may help to find out other potential
markets by analyzing the result of the skin temperature and relative humidity
of skin or verifying the climate conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity and
wind velocity) and compare those simulation results, for examples, sold at
Hong Kong in winter and also at the Vancouver in summer. And the other
advantages of using the computer-based simulation system are, (1) it
simplified and smoothen the simulation process in a sense of not necessary to
make samples with different combination of design factors to sent to
laboratory testing, which could reduce the design cycle and gain the greatest
efficiency with the best design values. (2) When some of the information or
factors are changed in the system, a different result could be conducted, which
is also convenience to use and compare at next time as the case could be
saved as a record. (3) Lastly, it may also a source of inspiration to designer by
varying the factors and creates another wonderful design.”
Excerpts of Students’Paper Reports

Case 2: Understanding the design process by using computer- based simulation

“Pre-experiment preparation is the first step to design what is the purpose of
the garment and what garment we should form to match up to the market,
including the garment style, fabric properties and the expectation of garment.
For the experiment, it should conduct for a wide range of factors that would
affect the design and wearer, including outdoor air temperature, humidity,
and thickness of fabric, etc. Then, the simulation model should be set up with
scientific simulation software, following the steps to enter all data. After the
visualization results are collected, it should analyze and plan the direction on
the design of product. Furthermore, it needs to project a measure for
improving the result of garment while the fabric is not suitable for the market
after the experiment. In short, scientific simulation software is very useful in
presenting a clothing thermal functional case simulation, which improves the
analysis of performance and function of clothing. It is user friendly software
that provides an opportunity for students learning simulation experiments via
scientific simulation technologies. The operation of this software is simple and
it is easy to understand since the results are shown by concrete images. It can
enhance students’ learning motivation.”
Excerpts of Students’Paper Reports

Case 3: Self-case design

“Garment for case design is unequal to that for purpose design. For the case design, the
design is not just for a particular purpose but a given condition is also in calculation.
When other environmental factors are in count, the performance of the product should
both suit for the activity and the condition in which take place. For various countries and
regions, different result of the garment’s performance would be taken. In the following, a
case will be suggested to explain how to design for function and performance. A situation
would be set and those data would be input to the scientific simulation software. With
the helping of the software, simulation can be done easily as there are default values of
physiological properties of human body and other control information. After the
simulation, results reflecting garment’s performance would be presented. And we can
attend to a prefect result by having this information.

Situation: A sports shirt for outdoor gymnastics activities is designed. It is a loose fit
sports shirt with short sleeves which is made by a 100% cotton fabric of 0.1cm thick. For
the activity to takes place in Hong Kong, the temperature range is 10°C - 20°C in winter;
and 20°C - 30°C in summer, with relative humidity of 60% and wind velocity of 0.5m/s.
The heat emit from human body during a gymnastics activity is about 319W/m2.

Objective: To determine the suitability of a 100% cotton sports shirt in fabric of 0.1cm
thick in a given condition by understanding the relationship between the styles of a
design and the thermal comfort of clothing when design for function and performance.”
Conclusion


As a result of this research, the following conclusions can be drawn:

(1) By closely following the pedagogical model as described students
achieved the desired learning outcomes.

(2) If adopted properly, this approach can improve the efficiency in using
computer simulation to teach clothing functions concept.

(3) Although technology supports may cause some stress to the instructor,
the outcomes surpass both common computer simulation teaching and the
traditional classroom teaching modes.
In summary, by following the afore-mentioned pedagogical paradigm, effective
learning outcomes and quality of education can be generated.
Reference


[1] Cao ML, Li Y, Csete J. Computer Thermal Functional Simulation to Enhance
Students’ Learning on Fashion Product Development. In: Proceedings of the
Textile Bioengineering and Informatics Symposium, Hong Kong, 2009. p. 663671.
[2] Cao ML, Li Y, Csete J., “Effects of an E-learning Case Computer Simulation on
Student’s Learning of Clothing Functional Design and Student Feedbacks”,
accepted by conference TBIS 2010, Shanghai, China (May 28-30, 2010)
The End
Thanks!