Upper-division undergraduate students are introduced to polymer processing using material extrusion fused filament fabrication 3D printing to make poly(lactic acid) (PLA) mechanical testing specimens. Computer aided design and slicing software packages are used to demonstrate the process of preparing 3D computer models for printing. Following the…

Engineering students at an undergraduate level typically learn the design aspect and concept through lectures and practical sessions using computeraided software. However, the current computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/CAE) course did not expose the students to apply and relate the latest advanced technologies to solve global issues, for…

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and 3D printing are not new technologies but are technologies which, in recent years, have become more accessible to hobbyists and enthusiasts. Engaging with these technologies allows the user to investigate and manipulate virtual and physical 3D shapes, which may affect spatial awareness. The literature suggests that…

3D design software is a commonly used interactive learning tool in STEM education. It is generally believed that 3D design can effectively train students' spatial thinking and engineering design abilities. There have been many theoretical and practical achievements in the application of 3D printing education, but the evaluation of 3D design is…

For the last decade, remedial spatial visualization training has been offered to first-year engineering students in traditional classroom settings where students attend class and interact face-to-face with an instructor and peers. An alternative to the traditional pedagogical approach is a multi-modal blended learning format that combines in-class…

3D printers can do a lot more than just printing nice little giveaways such as keyring pendants or chess pieces. During a project at the Holbein-Gymnasium Augsburg in Bavaria, Germany, students developed a number of helpful tools for chemistry lessons and tested them in classes. Full details of these are now available for free to any teacher who…

3D printing is becoming ever more popular in both the manufacturing world as well as in technology and engineering education classrooms all over the United States. 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process in which successive layers of material are built up to produce three-dimensional objects from computer-aided design (CAD) files, making…

With the rise of personal desktop 3D printing, a wide spectrum of educational opportunities has become available for educators to leverage this technology in their classrooms. Until recently, the ability to create physical 3D models was well beyond the scope, skill, and budget of many schools. However, since desktop 3D printers have become readily…