Our list of the top 4 ways 3D printing is changing education

It is becoming more and more common to find a 3D printer in classrooms right here in Calgary, and also all across Canada. Teachers, educators, and professors can see the value in allowing their students to develop an idea into something they can actually hold. It is so important to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow by equipping them with skills on the latest technology of today. This goes not only for k-12 schools, but also university and other post secondary institutions. We put together this list of our top 4 ways 3D printing is changing education.

1) Allowing students to explore their own creativity

Traditionally, students are forced to follow a set curriculum. They have a limited opportunity to really explore their own ideas, passions, and creativity. When you give the power of a 3D printer to a student, it allows them to begin thinking outside the walls of set curriculum. Allow your students to focus their 3D printing experience on something they are genuinely interested in and you will be amazed at the engagement you will see.

2) A natural extension of design

As we mentioned before, it is critical to prepare the next generation of graduates for the jobs of the future. One industry which shows no sign of slowing demand is the field of design. Design ties into many different fields including architecture, engineering, product development, and more. 3D printing is a natural extension of design because your creation is not limited to the realm of a computer screen. 

3) Teachers can now create their own classroom tools

It used to be that teachers had to follow the standard purchasing process to get the tools they need for a given lesson or subject. Having a 3D printer completely changes that. Now when a teacher needs to have an anatomical heart model, frog dissection kit, bridge building project, or a set of gears to explain ratios, they can simply print it themselves. The best part is they don't even have to leave the school to get them!

4) Learning from failures

An important lesson for everyone to learn is how to bounce back from a failure. This resilience can benefit students in many ways later in life. Unfortunately, students are rarely encouraged to fail. In reality, the best lessons we get are from failures. It is almost inevitable that at some point a print is going to fail. Whether a student forgot to turn supports on, select the right temperature settings, or they just didn't design something right, they will always learn from the mistakes and avoid making the same mistake twice.

Did you like this article and want to see more of our content? Check out our Tips, tricks, and tools for educators. You can also find our education collection for curated products for the classroom. Thanks for reading this and helping us to Print Your Mind!