Efforts to encourage laboratory automation through student access to and usage of commercial equipment are hampered by prohibitive acquisition costs. Here, an automated liquid handler using manual pipettes was developed to operate on a commercial hobbyist 3D printer at a cost of US $325. Arising from an iterative design process that ensured…

Background: Additive manufacturing or 3-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology with increasing prevalence in non-industrial settings such as university and school settings. However, printers are often located in spaces not designed for this purpose. Methods: 3D-printer use in 11 university and K-12 schools was evaluated by identifying…

3D-printing (3DP) is a rapidly evolving sector and is advancing at an unmatched pace. Integrating digital-based approaches to disseminate knowledge within institutional curricula is crucial for mainstreaming knowledge. This work explores the development of a virtual lab (VL) for additive manufacturing (AM), using an interactive VL simulator. The…

The role of "design" in the exploration of integrated "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics" (STEM) education has rapidly expanded in recent years. "Design" has made an important contribution by providing instructional scaffolds in synthesising knowledge from multiple disciplines to solve real-world…

Additive manufacturing (AM) is projected to require 60,000 jobs in the UK by 2025, but there are a series of barriers to the industrial application. One of the most problematic is non-comprehensive knowledge in design for AM (DfAM). This study aims to test the effect of two undergraduate DfAM teaching approaches. A visual and audial approach…

In response to the maker movement, administrators are adding 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, and other computer-controlled machinery into school-based makerspaces at a rapid rate. These digital fabrication tools can potentially engage students in hands-on learning across all subject areas. However, adding these extra tools into schools…

We review the development of a mobile makerspace platform focused on digital fabrication in particular additive manufacturing (AM) or what is more commonly referred to as 3D printing. We engage in a reflexive analysis of our curriculum development as a part of the iterative process of this design-based research project. We review the component…

Building on sociocultural theories of literacy learning, in this article, we think at the intersection of reader response theory and multimodal literacies to examine how 13 preservice teachers in the course Teaching Social Sciences Through the Arts remediated responses to Francisco Jiménez's "The Circuit: Stories From the Life of a Migrant…

Although 3D printing (3DP) technology has become an increasingly popular educational tool in recent years, very little is known about the learning benefits of this technology. This systematic literature review synthesized empirical research on learning with 3DP in various educational settings, focusing on publication and study participants'…