TThe past decade has marked a decisive transformation in educational environ-ments, driven by rapid advancements in digital technologies and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2016, broadband infrastructure, learning man-agement systems, and immersive instructional tools such as virtual and augment-ed reality have redefined teaching and learning processes worldwide. The sudden shift to remote instruction in 2020 further intensified reliance on digital platforms, fostering hybrid synchronous–asynchronous learning modes in the post-pandemic period. Within this context, engineering education—and particularly Computer-Aided Design (CAD) instruction—has undergone significant peda-gogical and technological evolution.

This study examines the development of CAD education over the last decade by conducting a bibliometric analysis of literature indexed in the Scopus database be-tween 2016 and 2026. Using a systematic keyword search and RIS-file extrac-tion, the dataset was processed in VOSviewer to generate keyword co-occurrence networks and overlay visualizations. The analysis identified 828 relevant publica-tions and revealed twelve thematic clusters reflecting pedagogical foundations, digital design tools, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence integration, and professional training. Dominant research themes include engineering education, design instruction, 3D modeling, and Industry 4.0-aligned digital competencies. Emerging topics, such as open-source platforms, benchmarking, machine learn-ing, and data-driven design, indicate increasing convergence between CAD edu-cation and advanced computational methods.

The findings highlight a research transition from software-centric approaches to-ward holistic, technology-enhanced pedagogies that promote digital literacy, ex-periential learning, and interdisciplinary design. However, gaps remain in linking CAD competencies to broader educational transformations such as lifelong digital skills, competency-based learning, and sustainability-driven design practices.