Open AccessAn Introduction to 3D Printing in the STEM Classroom
Author(s) -
Evelyn Sander,
Christopher A Ma,
Padmanabhan Seshaiyer
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
innovations in teaching and learning conference proceedings
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2379-8432
DOI - 10.13021/g8mc7n
Subject(s) - session (web analytics) , presentation (obstetrics) , 3d printing , class (philosophy) , computer science , mathematics education , software , multimedia , software engineering , engineering , mathematics , mechanical engineering , world wide web , artificial intelligence , programming language , medicine , radiology
This session is designed to introduce the use of 3D printing in a mathematics or science classroom to those with little or no experience with the technology. It will be a hands-on introduction to design of models using two STEM-focused software packages: Mathematica and OpenSCAD. The audience will come away with a knowledge of the entire progression of 3D printing from an in-class design to the technical aspects of printing. The presentation is based on group-based lab materials created for the calculus classroom (funded by a 4-VA innovation grant). This project demonstrates how inquiry-based approaches can be employed to enhance student learning using a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).The session will start with a 30-minute lecture, including a demonstration of 3D printing, a review of the types of scientific models available publicly, a discussion of some of the classroom models we have designed, and a summary of the labs given in the calculus classroom. The next hour will consist of a hands on introduction to designing printable scientific models in Mathematica and in OpenSCAD, an open source CAD-based system.