Construct3D 2018

This session presents an educational framework for teaching 3D printing that focuses on developing student proficiency. This framework is based in Bloom's Taxonomy and differentiates instruction between operation and technique. By considering these educational models, the framework allows for the design or selection of assignments that can be used to teach 3D printing at beginner, intermediate, and expert level proficiencies from elementary through university level. Practically, this framework exists as a table that organizes current and potential 3D printing activities on a continuum of increasing proficiency, and instructors can pick and choose which ones to use in their classrooms. To provide perspective, several current methods of teaching 3D printing proficiency will be discussed and contextualized with respect to the framework. This framework has been applied in a prototyping class where students started with a range of proficiencies. Assessment of the use of this framework demonstrated that students were able to increase their proficiency in the observed assignments.