Guide to 3D Printing In Education

From K-12 schools to post-graduate college programs, 3D printing is a way for educators to encourage more active participation in the learning process. Though research studies abound on different learning styles and the effectiveness of diverse teaching methods, so much of traditional education still relies on rote memorization of reading material. 3D printing offers a way for students to truly connect to the subject matter by physically manipulating ready-printed teaching aids or by designing tools themselves.

For K-12 students especially, this hands-on aspect of 3D printing in the classroom helps improve engagement and participation. To put this theory into practice, Formlabs partnered with Tech Boston Academy, a public high school in Dorchester, Massachusetts that focuses primarily on technology education. Over the course of a 13-week program, Formlabs employees gave lectures and guided the students through a project-based course, culminating in a ‘hackathon’ where students designed, modeled, and 3D printed a tool. The students were able to problemsolve and use CAD skills to develop a solution, then bring their ideas into reality with the Formlabs 3D printers. One student said that the aspect they enjoyed the most “was the ability to materialize physical objects inside my mind into a real thing that I could hold or touch.”

Educators have a monumental task before them, and determining which technology is the best for their curriculum can be an added stress.