3D printing giant Stratasys has announced a new printing curriculum for educators aimed at assisting in the preparation of secondary and post-secondary students worldwide for careers that are being transformed by 3D printing.
Introduction to 3D Printing: From Design to Fabrication focuses on 3D printing in terms of its history, established applications, forward-looking trends, and potential social and economic impacts.
“We notice a strong demand coming from the industry for a curriculum focusing on 3D printing,” says Shelly Linor, director of global education for Stratasys.
“Educators around the world now have an opportunity to make a big impact by using and contributing to our curriculum. They will also be able to better prepare their students for future careers as 3D printing is becoming an intrinsic part of the design and manufacturing processes in leading companies.”
The theme is “Make Something That Moves Something”. Students will have the opportunity – through project-based learning – to experience, first-hand, the impact of 3D printing on the design process.
“Students will become familiar with the advantages of various 3D printing technologies in terms of precision, resolution and material capabilities. While Stratasys recommends FDM and PolyJet 3D printing technologies for this course, any technology platform and any CAD software with STL support may be used,” reads the company’s news release.
The company also announced that two sequential advanced courses under the same theme will be added at a later date that will cover material memory, multi-material use and 3D printing for robotics applications. Learning materials are free to educators and include a curriculum guide, supporting presentations, 3D models (STL files) and grading tools.
Schools in Singapore and the US have spearheaded the implementation of Stratasys’ 3D printing curriculum and report highly positive results.
“The introductory material on 3D printing that Stratasys offers, from the slide presentations to the videos, were impressive. The students enjoy the hands-on activities especially the design process with 3D printing,” says Ms Chee Feng Ping, a lecturer with the Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore.
“There are going to be many instructors out there who would love to teach a course in 3D printing but who simply do not have enough time to do the detailed research and to prepare professional level presentations. Stratasys has now made it much easier for any instructor to offer a college level course on the subject,” says Steve Chomyszak, Assistant Professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, USA.
For more information about the courses and to download free materials, please go to the Stratasys Educational Curriculum.
