Jan 28, 2016 | By Tess
As 3D printing becomes an increasingly popular design and manufacturing technology in a varied number of fields it is also becoming more and more important to introduce the technology to younger generations, who will shape the future of 3D printing in years to come. To aid and facilitate this introductory education to additive manufacturing, 3D printing solutions company Stratasys has developed seven new education modules to be integrated into middle and high school curriculums.
The modules developed by the Minneapolis and Rehovot, Israel based company were designed to comprehensively take both teacher and student through the process of 3D designing and 3D printing an object. For teachers unfamiliar with the technology but who are enthusiastic about teaching their students about it, the modules provide the ideal platform as they go through each step necessary in 3D printing, including concept sketches, scaled sketches, 3D CAD drawings, rendering images, and 3D printing the models.
“We saw an educator need and took responsibility to bring active learning projects around design for 3D printing to our customers,” says Jesse Rotenberg, Stratasys’ North American Education Manager. “The launching of Stratasys post-secondary curriculum modules is the first step in providing support to educators and students who are integrating 3D printing in the classroom. The toolkit and modules are a guide for instructors to follow, allowing for flexibility to modify for their students, which was important in creating a successful program that will integrate with the various STEAM programs taught in the schools.”
The modules are also varied to accommodate different difficulty levels, ranging from beginner to advanced, and goals, with certain projects intended to last only a few days, and others, a number of weeks.
Michael Santolupo, an educator at John Paul II Catholic Secondary School in London, Ontario who helped Stratasys to create and properly implement the new modules, explains, “These modules are a great guide for instructors, helping them to integrate 3D printing into their teaching strategy, and they’re also vital to the students, helping empower them to revolutionize their understanding of the design and making process and maximize their potential at such an early stage.”
Each of Stratasys’ modules also comes equipped with a toolkit that explains and presents 3D printing industry standards as well as the best practices in 3D printing. Though the modules are intended to be used in the classroom setting, Stratasys has opted to make them CAD agnostic so they can be used otherwise as well, allowing for educators to choose how they will implement the initiative to a certain degree.
Mike Hill, a seventh grade teacher at Big Lake Middle School in Minnesota, who has introduced 3D printing to his students through the modules and a Stratasys Mojo 3D printer, says, “For the students, it’s exciting to see a sketch become a 3D part they can touch and feel by the end of the lesson. It’s a project they can truly have fun doing while also being closely relevant to the overall class objectives.”
We can expect to see the seven 3D printing education modules for middle and high school released during the 2016 school year, as Stratasys will be making them available to their customers. Currently, and for a limited time, the company is also giving a sneak peek into their Ear Bud Holders module, one of the beginner level courses. To see whether the Stratasys education models intended young generations could be of interest to you, check out the sneak peek here.
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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