Abstract:

Many schools are considering or have purchased 3D printers for classroom use. Educators should consider how it can be used to enhance learning. To address this issue, a review of the literature will determine the attributes of effective use. This review will inform an approach to categorizing 3D printing lessons or activities. This categorization approach will facilitate the connection between the learning outcomes and the attributes of 3D printing activities and will encourage them to work towards higher-order thinking skills.

Reviews of 3D printing in education identify three purposes for incorporating this technology. These purposes include teaching the technical skills of using 3D printers along with the design skills for creating 3D prints. The second purpose is using 3D prints as part of the learning process, providing tangible objects that might not otherwise be available to students. The third purpose is to take their fundamental skills and apply those creatively by designing and testing prototypes to solve problems. Often these creative projects are cross-curricular and link to diverse outcomes in a variety of subject areas. (The literature review will include references and citations.)

The challenge with integrating any new technology is that it is easy to use it “for technology’s sake”; the technology is intriguing, or educators feel that their students would benefit from being exposed to the technology, so that becomes the rationale for using it. There is value in exploring new technologies. If we do not experiment and determine how the technology works and come to understand the attributes of the technology, we will not be able to work towards effective integration. However, some educators limit themselves to the exploration and experimentation phase, but this short-circuits student learning. Our world needs learners that go to the next level to solve challenging problems, use critical thinking, systematic approaches and creativity.

The following categorization scheme is a hierarchal approach to encourage educators to implement higher-order thinking and problem solving with their students.

Tentative Category Definitions:
• Instructional Illustration: the teacher 3D prints the model so that students can view or use it (Teacher Demo/Use)
• Duplication: students download a model or are given a model and print it as is (Copy Production)
• Modding: same as Duplication but students alter or modify the model before printing it (altering some aspect the object rather than creating something new)
• Reproduction: students create a model of a known object - no need to design it (told, shown, or research image of what to create)
• Constrained Creation: teacher provides a template upon which students create something new (no modification)
• Open Creation: students design a model from scratch that comes from their minds - involves a unique design and planning, solving a problem, designing unique art, and so forth.
• Prototyping: as part of the lesson, students test or evaluate prints and then iterate the design process; modify their designs and then print altered versions

Keywords:

3D Printing, Digital Fabrication, Rapid Prototyping, Lesson Categorization, Activity Categorization, Higher-order Thinking, Problem Solving.