3D printing is the process of creating an object using a machine that putting down material layer by layer until the desired object is formed. Such printers use specifications generated by computer modeling applications or by3D scans of existing objects. This process of creating 3D models is much faster than many traditional methods of creating prototypes or replicas of existing objects, facilitating an innovative culture of learning in which students can quickly move from imagination to the production of a solid model. 3D printers also allow users anywhere to “build” their own versions of rare or delicate artifacts, expanding access to items that can enable learners in many fields.
Opportunity Statement
3D Printing is affordable enough to be in most schools. The opportunity for teachers and learners to design and fabricate almost anything they wish is a breakthrough dimension of learning equivalent to that of the original (2D) desktop publishing.
Prediction Source(s)
Online Colleges – Tech Trends for 2013
3D printing has become the rage in our school ever since the first makerbot was put in the multimedia room. I would love to learn more about what my students are raving about.
3D printing feels like a breakthrough that has so many practical uses for education. Specifically, in fields like design, engineering, medicine, sciences and most especially Art! Plus, I can just picture myself as a child, designing something on Autocad jr. and watching it spit out a real model of that thing and just being super stoked about that. So it gets an upvote!
http://i.imgur.com/kQ3ny.gif
I think this has huge implications in surgical education, especially in simulation. And surgical innovation! (which isn’t exactly education related, but it’s exciting!) I have never seen one but it looks very promising.
3D printing is a disruptive technology, meaning that has the potential to impact every field of everything. A highly visible technology, the theory of 3D printing was introduced to western imagination long before personal applications were available (Thanks, Star Trek!). 3D printing has every aspect of an opportunistic technology, and is at once immensely exciting and a quagmire of legal and ethical complexity. Introducing and nurturing this technology in educational settings today will only serve to fuel the future of rapid fabrication, with potentially far ranging impacts on everything from toys, to biological modification, to space exploration.
3D printing would impact students of all levels. As I work with students with diverse needs, 3D printing would greatly increase their understanding of concepts. I can see value with students who have reading deficits. Another group of students I see this being a strong learning tool for are apprentices. Using 3D printing may assist them in getting a better visual of how to do something.