An additive process

Or, my thoughts on 3D printing.

Over the past few of years, 3D printing technology has become know for quite varied innovation. Weekly, there are new reports on medical breakthroughs and other surprising feats that would never have been possible without the technology. On a less grandiose level, 3D printing has also become linked to the maker movement and library makerspaces. I was surprised when, in her TED Talk on 3D printing, Lisa Harouni said that the technology of 3D printing has been around for over three decades.

Many are skeptical of 3D printing because they think it's a fad, but what seems to be a sudden explosion of a new technology is really just an old technology becoming more accessible for consumers. Despite this fact, 3D printers the cost of 3D printers still start at several hundreds of dollars, with the least expensive requiring assembly. This price is too much for people, particularly parents buying for their children, when they are new to the technology and are still learning. That's why classrooms and library makerspaces make good and necessary homes for 3D printers.

How is a student printing out a set of dice on par with the printing of a skull that will go in a human body? In Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom by Sylvia Libow Martinez and Gary Stager, the authors provide educators with persuasive arguments for advocating for making in the classroom. Educators are told not to simply say that "Students need to be prepared for the real world of the future," but to instead explain that"A makerspace offers the potential today for students to engage in the real work of mathematicians, scientists, composers, filmmakers, authors, computer scientists, and engineers, etc." Because these technologies will change the future of so many fields--medicine, science, manufacturing and customization, art, space and aeronautics--it's necessary to let all young students interact with these technologies. That's another reason why these printers should be in free and open spaces like libraries. 

That's not to say that just adding a 3D printer to a classroom or makerspace is enough. These places provide the necessary amount of structure and guidance for learning this new technology and all of the accompanying software. Invent to Learn emphasizes that process is more important than product. That's why it's not appropriate to tell a student whose result is a failed product that they have failed. The purpose of a 3D printer is the making of a product, so how does an educator make sure that it's still about process? Martinez and Stager suggest asking students to make products that they may need to use in other parts of the classroom. Projects often lend themselves to making measurement and using other math skills. The process of 3D printing can also be emphasized by teaching about the different steps that go into the product. The filament used  for example, gives teachers an opportunity to talk about environmental issues. Most 3D printers that will be found in the classroom or library will only be able to print out ABS or PLA, the second of which is biodegradable. Educators can also discuss how manufacturing on demand limits the carbon footprint. Copyright and open source are other major points to talk about with students as they design their products and alter downloaded designs. These discussions can inform the students' process.

As a fabrication tool, 3D printing is an additive process, meaning layers of filament are built up instead of carved out from a block of material. As a classroom tool, 3D printing is also additive to the learning process. This technology prepares students for technologies they will interact with in the future, empowers them to create and design their own items that they may use in and outside of the classroom, and allows them to learn about other topics in an experiential manner.