Dive Brief:
- Once in the category of shiny new tech toy, 3D printers are finding their way into classrooms as a way to teach students engineering and design skills.
- That’s in part thanks to steep cost drops, from around $15,000 to $20,000 in 2010 to around $2,000 for some cheaper models today.
- But their use can also provide administrators with new concerns, including reliability and maintenance.
Dive Insight:
The potential of 3D printers has caught the imagination of many students and educators. Where a decade ago, a student could create a box in a design system, they can now actually make that box with the press of a button. The act can help students understand the real processes that occur in professional work environments, as well as easily test out ideas in concrete ways.
But for administrators, they offer a minefield. The printers are not specifically designed to be used by large numbers of inexperienced students and require maintenance and upkeep. Experts recommend purchasing units alongside tech support packages. Also, expect to buy another new unit within a couple of years, as the technology is advancing rapidly.
Finally, identifying what students should get out of using the printers is key to preventing them from becoming just another toy. Minneapolis' Mahtomedi High School has six 3D printers for its STEM courses, and the school offers a two-week training course for teachers on how to effectively use the technology for instruction.
