Incorporating 3D printing into education enables students to expand their learning beyond the confines of textbooks and lectures. It empowers students to become creators and innovators, preparing them to tackle real-world problems and contribute meaningfully to a dynamic global environment.
Complex subjects that might be difficult to visualize in a traditional classroom setting suddenly become accessible and enjoyable. The following are some Educational Benefits of 3D Printing:
Boosts Creativity
3D printing is a versatile fabrication technology, allowing designers to create almost anything they can imagine. The printers use digital designs to build a physical object, one layer at a time. This allows for a freedom of expression that isn’t possible with traditional manufacturing techniques.
Designers are finding new ways to incorporate 3D printing into their work. The technology helps them to create prototypes that look and perform like final products, allowing them to find and fix design flaws before they enter production. This saves money and time, as well as reduces the risk of costly revisions or tooling changes.
The 3D printing process also enables designers to make complex geometries and lattices that are impossible or extremely expensive with traditional methods. This makes it ideal for industries such as aerospace and automotive, where strength is key. It can even produce parts with internal cavities and voids, which are essential for medical care, such as customized implants or prostheses that fit the patient’s anatomy.
The technology is becoming more affordable and accessible, allowing would-be entrepreneurs to test their ideas without spending big bucks. They can produce small runs of their product to get the word out and gauge customer reaction. And since the printing process takes place closer to where the demand is, it cuts logistics costs and carbon emissions.
Promotes Active Learning
As students create and print their own projects, they engage in active learning and learn through hands-on experience. The tactile nature of 3D printing makes abstract concepts tangible and helps students better understand complex ideas. This is especially useful for visual learners as they can manipulate and interact with their creations, which boosts retention.
Through the process of designing and creating their projects, students develop critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. They also gain a deeper understanding of design principles by analyzing their projects and breaking them down into smaller components. Additionally, the ability to test and iterate their designs teaches them to embrace failure and fosters a growth mindset.
In addition to developing these essential skills, students become more engaged in their educational journey as they feel a sense of ownership over their projects. This is important as students need to be actively engaged in their education to be successful in the future, and 3D printing helps promote this engagement.
Students also have the opportunity to collaborate on their 3D printing projects, promoting teamwork and collaboration in classrooms. Teachers can even encourage students to create and print their own historical or cultural objects through 3D printing, giving students a more tangible connection with history and culture.
Engages Visual Learners
For visual learners, 3D printing translates abstract concepts into tangible models that are easily engaged with and understood. Moreover, students are able to create their own designs and collaborate with others to enhance learning by trial-and-error and iteration. This practical approach to STEM education allows students to build a deeper understanding of topics and improve their retention of knowledge, which helps them succeed in the classroom and beyond.
For example, in biology, students can fabricate models of molecular structures that they would otherwise only see in 2D diagrams or drawings in textbooks. This enables them to better visualize the structure of complex molecules and thereby improve their spatial reasoning abilities, cognitive load, and dual processing skills.
Educators are also leveraging 3D printing to encourage creativity and collaboration in the classroom. Students learn to brainstorm ideas for solutions and design projects, enabling them to explore subjects more in-depthly and develop a creative mindset that fosters resourcefulness. They cultivate a spirit of innovation that enables them to adapt and thrive in a fast-changing world.
Students also gain technical skills by interacting with the software used to operate the printer. This enables them to understand how the machine works and apply this knowledge to solve challenges. In addition, they learn how to iterate their designs based on feedback and lessons learned, which teaches them the value of resilience in the face of setbacks.
Inspires Innovation
In recent years, there has been a push in education to think about different subjects in an interconnected way. This approach, known as STEAM, has helped educators to cultivate a wide range of skills across disciplines and equip students for the challenges of our ever-changing world.
3D printing offers a tangible means for students to experience this interconnectedness. When paired with project-based learning, 3D printing fosters an environment where creativity and innovation blossom, helping students to think outside the box as they explore new concepts and design ideas. Moreover, this hands-on approach to problem-solving encourages collaboration and teamwork, mirroring the collaborative nature of many real-world professional environments.
For example, students may work with others to build 3D models of molecules or other complex structures that can’t be portrayed in traditional textbooks. This helps them develop a deeper understanding of abstract mathematical principles or historical events that would otherwise be difficult to understand. It also allows them to make the connections between these subjects that are essential for success in a multidisciplinary workplace.
In addition, as students work to transform their abstract designs into physical manifestations, they gain a sense of ownership over the projects that they’re working on, fuelling their enthusiasm for learning. Moreover, the iterative process of refining their designs as they get feedback from their printers fosters resilience, an important skill in the face of adversity.