The use of 3D printing in classrooms
Outline and critical engagement
The issue I chose to address is the use of 3D printing in schools. “Three Dimensional (3D) printing enables virtual designs to be physically created using digital technologies and thus reified to represent the solution to the posed design problems. Common software applications used for designing 3D models for later printing include Sketchup, Tinkercad, and Makers Empire”(Stevenson, Falloon, Forbes, & Hatzigianni). 3D printing is current and contemporary which allows students to develop 21st century skills. 3D modelling and printing encourage students to learn through creativity and imagination. Furthermore, “Emerging technologies in education such as 3D modelling and printing can easily be utilized to support professional standards and build skills essential in order for students to learn how to become effective users of information,”(Cano, 2015) — 3D printing also involves critical thinking which is a crucial learning approach in the humanities and social sciences classroom.
3D printing Is one of the latest technologies that has been introduced in schools. 3D printing creates very detailed three-dimensional objects through Computer Aided Data (CAD) software, or other forms of software that are also being recently introduced. 3D printing and modelling is also known as additive manufacturing. 3D printing has revolutionised the creation of all aspects of production, including medical, architectural models, car parts, machinery for oil and gas manufacturing, fashion designs and historical artefact copies(FABRI, 2017). 3D printing is also said to be effective in education through enhancing students’ gist of the studied content, especially in STEM subjects. The “Australian Council for Computers in Education (ACCE) president Martin Levins said the education industry has hailed 3D printing’s role in getting students ready for a tech-focused future”. 3D printing has been around for a long time, but it has only become affordable to schools and students in the past five years. Makers Empire, an Australian 3D printing company asserts that 3D printing is proven to be beneficial for students’ learning. Currently there is potential for 3D printing across all learning disciplines. In the past five years there has been acknowledgment and support from both federal and state governments to support the 3D printing initiative in schools across all states. For instance, “in Victoria, the Andrews Labor Government’s $128 million Tech School initiative will see 10 new tech schools open throughout 2017 and 2018, complete with 3D printers and 3D scanners partnering schools can share”(FABRI, 2017).
- 3D printing provides students with the opportunity to be creators and inventors with complete ownership of their innovation rather than being passive consumers of someone else’s innovation. Through Makers Empire in particular, students may be able to interact and collaborate globally which will drive an insightful collaborative learning. 3D printing will also encourage and teach students to become responsible digital citizens(McConnell, 2018).
- 3D printing provides students with experiential learning opportunities as they have a hands on experience of the learnt content. Makers empire provides teachers with an extensive online lesson plan library on how to implement 3D printing. It also provide collaborative learning school wide by combining younger students with older ones. Furthermore, it strengthens bonds between schools and families and the outer community. Students develop problem solving skills through 3D printing and also be able to consider solving real-world problems (McConnell, 2018).
How can 3D printing benefit the classroom and the school curriculum.
Students in the 21st century learn through creativity; they are creators rather than consumers. 3D printing is part of this creativity revolution in education. It involves collaborative and student-centred teaching. In the past students had limited resources for exploration. Their scope of investigation was limited. Their generation of material was usually based on narrow and passive learning teaching approaches (Forbes-Rolfe, 2011). The availability of authentic digitised source materials endorse student centred learning which meets with specific curriculum demands. (Forbes-Rolfe, 2011)
3D printing builds problem solving skills. In the process of 3D printing students brainstorm their ideas, reflect and evaluate on the process and then move on to developing these skills through applying 3D printing and producing their printed artefact/product. In the process students may fail or do things incorrectly where they need to fix these issues and that is where they build these problem solving skills. Students can combine critical thinking and problem solving skills through problem-based learning. A problem based learning approach will get students to be the creators of the knowledge rather than passively receiving the knowledge from the teacher. It is also self-directed, student centred and allow students to work collaboratively. (Cano, 2015)
In 2016, a group of engineers, robotics professionals and industrial designers established a design and manufacturing curriculum for Australian primary and high schools in an aim to improve STEM teaching in schools in Australia. It aimed at giving students the tools, methods and language to communicate with professionals to produce their own 3D models and claim ownership of these products.(Connelly, 2016) On the other hand, Hyder Mohammed, a senior solution architect and channel manager -ANZ, Y Soft, asserts that there is an urge for a thoughtful plan that aligns with a curriculum which acknowledges the benefits of 3D printing In order for 3D printing to be effective for students. If the right planning and professional training is available to teachers, 3D printing may vividly enhance students’ learning experience across all learning areas. He further emphasise that students that do implement 3D printing in their schools will “creating a new generation of students that are more curious, better problem-solvers, and more engaged in the world around them,”(Educator, 2018). Y Soft suggests that 3D printing may be useful in the humanities. For example, 3D printing can be applied in history through getting students to examine and learn about historical artefacts they have created themselves rather than viewing them through a display case. Likewise, in geography, students can create products of lakes and volcanoes for example to help students develop an understanding of the world surrounding them. (Educator, 2018)
3D printing enhance learning in the humanities and social sciences classroom
As a humanities teacher, I think 3D printing would bring the content to life. This has been contested in contemporary studies on the effectiveness of 3D printing in the humanities and social sciences classroom. In a study done in the US it was concluded that 3D printing has been affective in the humanities and social sciences classroom. Maloy, Trust, Kommers, Malinowski, and LaRoche (2017, p. 246) asserts that “devoting hours of class time to 3D projects when there is so much material to teach and so little time in which to teach seems a worthwhile trade-off”.
Students used an inquiry and design approach to be able to create historical knowledge for themselves and were able to exchange their thoughts with other students in their classroom. The objects created through 3D printing by students showed a consolidation of their understanding of the studied content. 3D printing Is innovative and encourages progress in education. (Maloy et al., 2017)
History:
- Librarians and teachers may cater for visual learning by making it easy for students to create their own 3D object or use an available model to just print it through using a 3D printing software.
Students get a hands on opportunity and are able to visualise history artefacts rather than just see them on a computer screen. Students will also have the opportunity to share their designed and printed historical object with their class, other local or national schools as well as global schools through online communication, by using programs such as Skype or Facetime. (Cano, 2015)
Students can explore a historical events with a scope on artifacts that are related to that particular event. Students would then use 3D printing software to design these certain artifacts which represent students findings of their research into that historical event. Students may then represent and share that information they created on that historical event with their peers. Students may also use 3D printing to create historical characters and create a blog from that historical character’s perspective. Students can also create historical markers using 3D printing. (Cano, 2015)
GEOGRAPHY:
Students can do Geocoaching in geography. This involves using GPS coordinates to hiding and finding hidden objects. Students can learn in an exciting, enjoyable way by combining 3D printing with Geocoaching. (Cano, 2015)
3D printing in the national Curriculum
Although there isn’t much specific reference to 3D printing in the Australian/Victorian curriculum, there has been a dedication by the curriculum generators to acknowledging ICT and technologies demands. The Australian curriculum, (ACARA, 2018), proclaims that students would use and apply practical knowledge of digital technologies and ICT through building an understanding of hardware and software mechanisms and how they work. Students apply that practical knowledge to become competent and capable in managing and maintain digital data. Through gaining and applying these ICT capabilities, students would be able to:
· select and use hardware and software
· understand ICT systems
· manage digital data. (ACARA, 2018)
The Australian curriculum provide teachers with a variety of useful digital resources on the following link:
3D printing in the humanities curriculum
. In the 7–10 history curriculum students would build ICT capability through locating, processing, analysing and communicating historical information. Students use their ICT capability to access a variety of digital sources of information to provide a critical analysis of historical evidence and trends, communicate, present and represent their learning and collaborate, discuss and debate to co-construct their knowledge. Students may present and represent their findings in history through using 3D printing. (ACARA, 2018) On the contrary, in geography, students apply their ICT capability through locating, evaluating, communicating and sharing geographical information using digital technologies and learn to use spatial technologies. Students advance their ICT capability through looking into the impacts of technologies on places, the location of economic movement and on people’s lives. They develop understanding of the geographical changes influences by the introduction and use of technology. (ACARA, 2018)
In civics and Citizenship students use digital technologies to investigate information relevant to civics and citizenship. Students also use these digital technologies to critically analyse information on civics and citizenship. Students build and apply ICT skills by articulating and presenting information in a digital form through using multimodal elements which may involve 3D printing and modelling. (ACARA, 2018)
Below is a list of resources that teachers may use in the classroom to apply 3D printing. Most of these resources provide 3D printing software with guides to teachers on how to use these software. The following websites and blogs also provide a variety of lesson plans on specific curriculum areas that allow teachers to easily implement 3D printing in the classroom. Schools and teachers are also able to purchase 3D printers from some of the websites below.
References
Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority. (2018). F-10 Curriculum: General capabilities, Information and Communication technology (ICT) Capability. Retrieved From https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/information-and-communication-technology-ict-capability/
- Cano, L. M. (2015). 3D Printing : A Powerful New Curriculum Tool for Your School Library. Englewood, UNITED STATES: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
- Connelly, C. (2016). The 3D printer carving out a new curriculum. The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/technology/the-3d-printer-carving-out-a-new-curriculum-20160128-gmg21t.html
- Educator, T. (2018). How to build a curriculum around 3D printing. The Educator. Key Media. Retrieved from https://www.theeducatoronline.com/au/technology/devices/how-to-build-a-curriculum-around-3d-printing/249408
- FABRI, E. (2017). A tech-focused future. The Australian Education Reporter The Australian Education Reporter. Retrieved from http://www.edureporter.com.au/a-tech-focused-future/
- Forbes-Rolfe, J. (2011). The changing face of classroom resources in social education. Ethos, 19(3), 21–23.
- Linneman, A. (2017). 3D printing news and Innovation. Shapeways Magazine. Retrieved 2018, from https://www.shapeways.com/blog/
- Maker Bot Thingiverse. (2018). Retrieved 2018, from https://www.makerbot.com/
- Maloy, R., Trust, T., Kommers, S., Malinowski, A., & LaRoche, I. (2017). 3D Modeling and Printing in History/Social Studies Classrooms: Initial Lessons and Insights. 17(2), 229–249.
- McConnell, J. (2018). 7 benefits of using 3D printing technology in Education. 3D Printing for Elementary, Primary & Middle Schools. Retrieved 2018, from https://www.makersempire.com/7-benefits-of-using-3d-printing-technology-in-education/
- Stevenson, M., Falloon, G., Forbes, A., & Hatzigianni, M. J. A. High Impact Learning and Teaching using 3D Design and 3D Printing in Primary School Makerspaces. 75.
Tinkercad. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.tinkercad.com/about/
