[3D Printing News] Taking the First Step: Enhancing Learning Capabilities with 3D Modeling

Taking the first step: Enhancing learning capabilities with 3D modeling

Pioneer Tabitha Lewis shared the story of undergraduate Gloria Song, whose digital literacy improved after she decided to add 3D printing to her final project.
Gloria Song is an undergraduate student at Brock University and is pursuing a master's degree in speech-language pathology.

In the introduction to the listening course, students must create a surprising element for their final project.

So, while searching for help and inspiration, she came to Brock University's maker space. Ultimately, she decided to use 3D modeling and printing to create a visual representation of the inner ear.
The maker space staff consulted with Gloria Song multiple times, asking her various important questions, guiding her through the design thinking process, and encouraging exploratory and problem-based learning.
As she spent more and more time working in the makerspace, her digital literacy skills improved, eventually making her a trusted resource for other students with 3D printing problems.
Gloria herself tells her story:
As part of my audiology course introductory project, the final project was to demonstrate our understanding of sound propagation. We had to create a model of the ear that assists in sound transmission. I chose the eardrum as my subject but was worried about how to create a proper representation. Initially, I considered using wires and sheets of plastic, but cutting wires and bending them into the correct shape was a difficult and rather dangerous task, so my idea shifted to using a 3D model I had previously seen in the Brook Library Makerspace.
When I entered the makerspace, I only had a vague idea of ​​what I wanted to make. I tried to describe my ideas on how I wanted people to create them, hoping they could guide me in the right direction. I learned to use the web application TinkerCAD and created the exposed bone of the eardrum. I learned how to use the application and a 3D printer . The hardest part was turning the shapes I envisioned into real models within the application.
Through many trials and errors, I learned that getting the right help in 3D design is the most important factor in achieving good results. Using the bare bone I printed, I was able to add other materials to achieve different textures for different parts of the tympanic membrane.
I felt incredibly satisfied when I was finally able to put these works together. I even had to print out a small tray to keep them in order. This was my first attempt at creating something new and creative.
I believe there are many other technologies that can be learned in a maker space. Next stop, the Arduino project!
Gloria's learning process overview (images):



















Gloria is now a "makerspace champion," constantly experimenting with new designs and learning new technologies in makerspaces. She goes to the makerspace every day and is very willing to help others who, like her before, are intimidated by technology and have absolutely no knowledge of 3D modeling or printing . "[Developing this project in the makerspace] has been one of my most enjoyable experiences to date. Everyone is so friendly and helpful, and my project perfectly matched my vision. I recommend everyone give it a try," she says.


We hope that others can see Gloria's journey and be inspired to try using 3D printing in their next project.
Original link: https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52483-taking-the-first-step-using-3d-modeling-to-enhance-learning