Author(s):
Dissecting 3D Printing as Part of an Engineering Design Process Education Course for Preservice STEM Teachers
Need: 3D printing (3DP) has been becoming more and more popular throughout the education system from Kindergarten to University. High school is a critical period for students to decide their imminent university major selection which in turn will impact their future career choices. High school students are usually intrigued by hands-on tool such as 3DP which is also an important contributor to other courses such as robotics. The recent years have seen more investment and availability of 3DP in high schools, especially Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. However, mere availability of 3DP is not enough for teachers to fully utilize its potential in their classrooms. While basic 3DP skills can be obtained through a few hours of training, the basic training is insufficient to ensure effective teaching Engineering Design Process (EDP) at the high school level.
Guiding Question: To address this problem, this project develops an EDP course tightly integrated with 3DP for preservice teachers (PST) who are going to enter the workforce in high schools. Engineering design process (EDP) has become an essential part for preservice teachers (PST), especially for high school STEM. 3DP brought transformative change to EDP which is an iterative process that needs virtual/physical prototyping. The new PST course on EDP has been purposefully integrated with an in-depth discussion of 3DP. The approach is to dissect a 3D printer’s hardware, explain each component’s function, introduce each component’s manufacturing methods, describe possible defects, and elucidate what works and what does not.
Outcomes: The integration of 3D printing has at least four benefits: 1) PSTs will know what is possibly wrong when a printer or printing process fails, 2) PSTs will learn more manufacturing processes besides 3DP that can be used to support engineering design prototyping, 3) PSTs will know how to design something that can meet the manufacturing constraints, i.e., can be actually fabricated, and 4) reduce errors and frustrations caused by failed design and failed prints which happen frequently to novices in 3DP. The course has been implemented in spring 2024 semester with enrollment of 6 PSTs.
Broader Impacts: Upon graduation, PSTs will bring the expertise in using a 3D printer to create prototypes for their future high school students. Moreover, the overarching focus of the course on engineering design and technology will also provide PSTs with experience in teaching their content through engineering design, reverse engineering, prototype development, manufacturing, and technology. PSTs will be equipped with knowledge on integrating 3D printing into their curricular projects as an additional mechanism for prototype design. The course modules specific to the 3D printing content have been disseminated through multiple channels including in-service teachers in the Research Experience for Teachers site and pre-service teachers in the Research in a STEM setting at University of Houston.
Coauthors
Mariam Manuel, Paige Evans, Peter Weber
