Collaborative Design Education Using 3D Printing

Design education is important at technical universities and colleges. In general, real product design requires collaborative work. In this chapter, the authors discuss collaborative design education. An A360 cloud platform on Autodesk's 3D computer-aided design “AutoCAD” is adopted to illustrate a collaborative design activity implemented in the Engineering Graphics class offered at the College of Science and Technology, Royal University of Bhutan. By using A360 cloud, students can share a 3D model with group members. Based on feedback received, students can modify the initial model, share it, print, and discuss the modified object with members. This collaborative work allows students to create enhanced 3D design objects while engaged in discussions and interactions. The authors also discuss some difficulties encountered during the collaborative process and offer recommendations and future research ideas.

Employing 3D Printing to Fabricate Augmented Reality Headsets for Middle School STEM Education

This chapter examines the theories, strategies, and techniques for employing 3D printing technologies to fabricate education-appropriate augmented reality (AR) headsets and provides a concrete example of an AR headset that the authors developed. The chapter begins by discussing theories and historically relevant events that provide a context for the chapter's narrative about use of 3D printers to support AR in education. Next, the chapter presents the strategies that were employed while developing and 3D fabricating a custom-designed AR headset that was intended for supporting middle school students learning science and mathematics content knowledge. Afterward, the chapter provides directions and resources for the reader describing how to build the presented AR headset design themselves by using a 3D printer and affordable electronic components, as well as information about how to join the Maker community and participate in the designing and producing of similar projects. Lastly, the chapter delivers a summarization of all findings discussed.

Creating Tactile Graphs for Students With Visual Impairments

Educational technologists are often asked to provide assistance in the identification or creation of assistive technologies for students. Individuals with visual impairments attending graduate schools are expected to be able to work with data sets, including reading, interpreting, and sharing findings with others in their field, but due to their impairments may not be able to work with standard displays. The cost and time involved in preparing adapted graphs based on student research data for individuals with visual impairments can be prohibitive. This chapter introduces a method for the rapid prototyping of tactile graphs for students to use in data analysis through the use of spreadsheets, internet-based conversion tools, and a 3D printer.

Using 3D Printing as a Strategy for Including Different Student Learning Styles in the Classroom

This chapter aims to explore the contribution of 3D printing technologies as a collaborative resource in higher education teaching. It was conducted in the course “Physics of Materials,” in which the contribution of practical experience in the learning process was analyzed and the degree of interest, motivation, and understanding by students on academic content was assessed. Practical demonstrations with resources prepared by 3D printing can be a very motivational learning facilitator. To this end, the learning styles of students were determined through the Honey-Alonso learning styles questionnaire (CHAEA). A second questionnaire was used to obtain information about the motivational importance of 3D printing technology in teaching activities in the classroom. The authors concluded that 3D printing can positively help teachers to improve students' engagement and proactive behavior, as well as teaching environment, by including different methodological styles in the learning process, particularly in courses with a significant theoretical content.

3D Printed Glitches

3D printing is a common resource within the architecture and design disciplines in higher education. As is the case with all tools, there is a predetermined functionality and expected outcome when using additive manufacturing technology. There are also learning opportunities rooted in unforeseen equipment errors. The following chapter outlines alternate approaches for the use of 3D printing beyond mere representation and utilization in higher education design environments. Manufactured glitches enable students to analyze the predetermined functionality of the tools they engage with, and enter into a dialogue with technology as a medium for exploration and authorial exchange. To explore these concepts, a series of case studies that tested the parameters of glitches in both digital (three-dimensional modeling software) and physical mediums (rapid prototyping) was completed by a group of architecture and design students at a Midwestern University in the United States.

Using 3D Printers to Engage Students in Research

Is the primary purpose of a 3D printer to manufacture a product? Yes, but students and teachers can also use 3D printers to learn about and engage in research and experimentation. This could begin with product research and development, then expand to technical areas based on additive manufacturing technologies, the physical and mechanical properties of additive manufacturing materials, and the properties of 3D printed products. Student inquiry can take the form of formal or informal experimentation and observational studies. Although dedicated testing equipment can facilitate more demanding investigations, it is possible for quite a bit of experimentation to be done with little or no dedicated testing equipment. It is hoped that the reader will identify different educational experiences with experimentation that might fit their learners' needs and see 3D printers as tools for conducting and teaching about research, including product research and development and research into process engineering and materials.

Design and Evaluation of a Collaborative Learning System for 3D Model Sharing

Due to the prevalence of 3D printers, many applications of 3D printing have been developed for education in the recent years. Although there are web sites hosting 3D models created by students and allowing them to be shared with others, these systems usually lack educational functions, especially for collaborative learning. On the other hand, most learning management systems do not provide functions needed for sharing and viewing 3D models. In this chapter, a system called 3D model co-learning space (3D MCLS), dedicated to collaborative learning, will be reported. The system allows a user to store, share, display, and discuss 3D models and allows a teacher to manage a group of students in a flexible way. Furthermore, the system can create the thumbnail of a 3D model automatically. It uses tags to organize models into groups according to their attributes or teams in a class. In addition, it provides blind assignments of peer reviews. The authors have implemented such a system and conducted a pilot study to obtain a preliminary evaluation on the usability of the system.

Libraries, New Technology, and Education

This chapter presents a snapshot of the current status of the use of 3D printers by libraries in the U.S. through a review of the literature and a survey with librarians to share information and expand the current knowledge of 3D printing services in libraries. Information about use of 3D printers in academic, public, school, and governmental libraries is described. Incorporating 3D services into libraries, how to set up a program, sample guidelines, online resources, management, funding, and challenges are shared. The original research addresses challenges, opportunities afforded, programs, activities, school/library relationships, and library policies. In conclusion, libraries accomplish one of their goals as a public institution by offering access to emerging technologies as a way to enhance educational opportunities with an interdisciplinary approach.

Using OpenSCAD for Teaching Mathematics

Three-dimensional representations have been used in teaching for several decades. However, these representations were made primarily using materials available in the market. The use of 3D printers has extended the possibility of creating and printing these objects, enabling the printing of three-dimensional models using computer designs. These computational designs or 3D computational modeling are built employing various software programs, which require reflections and strategies during their production. In this chapter, the authors discuss the possibilities of using the OpenSCAD software 3D models for teaching mathematics.

Re-Educating the Educators

Given the rapid integration of 3D printing into schools and universities, educators must equip themselves with new skills, class structures, procedures, and thinking, many of which may be challenging for teachers with non-technical expertise. Training in 3D printing and computer-aided design traditionally requires extended instruction and experience, which is unlikely to be practical for school teachers. This chapter explores how effective up-skilling can occur through one-day professional development workshops, where educators from all areas of teaching work together during intensive hands-on sessions to understand the foundational principles of 3D printing, become aware of the opportunities and limitations, and develop strategies together for implementing it into their curriculums. Through examination of the literature around 3D printing adoption in Australian schools, and an analysis of peer-reviewed research into short-format professional development, this chapter will help inform researchers, teachers, and those developing higher-level curriculum directives around 3D printing in schools.