Exploring the effects of the 6E instructional model on learners’ metacognitive behaviors in 3D modeling

Abstract

The acquisition of 3D modeling competencies is becoming increasingly critical within the domain of design education. Nonetheless, conventional teaching methodologies frequently fall short in cultivating the advanced cognitive capabilities demanded in the current AI landscape. This research examines the effects of employing the 6E instructional model—comprising Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Engineer, and Evaluate—on metacognitive behaviors within a 3D modeling curriculum. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the study engaged 40 university students from both IT and non-IT backgrounds in a 9-h instructional course utilizing Rhino software for 3D modeling. Metacognitive behaviors were evaluated through lag sequential analysis, coding procedures, and semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that metacognitive knowledge behaviors were most frequently observed, with notable progression identified between knowledge and skill-related behaviors. Students with IT backgrounds exhibited superior competency in integrating theoretical knowledge with practical application, whereas those from non-IT backgrounds more frequently utilized collaborative problem-solving strategies. The role of teacher guidance was found to be instrumental in augmenting students’ comprehension and application of modeling concepts. The study advocates for the integration of metacognitive prompts within instructional design to enhance learning outcomes and promote autonomous problem-solving capabilities. This research contributes empirical evidence aimed at advancing 3D modeling education and offers valuable insights for educators striving to formulate effective instructional strategies amid the swift advancements in technology. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2025.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Design education 3D computer modeling 6E instructional model Metacognition

Index Keywords

Teaching Curricula Students Instructional model Federated learning Behavioral research Teaching methodologies Three dimensional computer graphics Contrastive Learning 3D modeling Adversarial machine learning 3-D computer modeling 3D models 3d-modeling 6e instructional model Cognitive capability Design Education Meta-cognitive behavior Metacognition Digital elevation model

Author Affiliations

Department of Information Management, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan

Graduate School of Technological and Vocational Education, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Douliou, Yunlin, Taiwan

Funding & Acknowledgements

Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, MOST

Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, NSTC 112-2410-H-025-027-MY3, Tien-Chi Huang.

National Science and Technology Council, NSTC

Grant: 112-2410-H-025-027-MY3

Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, NSTC 112-2410-H-025-027-MY3, Tien-Chi Huang.

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Exploring the effects of the 6E instructional model on learners’ metacognitive behaviors in 3D modeling

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