Blog 6 - Exploring the Intersection of Constructionism, the Maker Movement, and 3D Printing

As the Maker Movement has mainly taken place outside of school settings and been largely adult-oriented, educators are increasingly interested in integrating making into K-12 education to expand opportunities for students to participate in engineering and design practices, particularly in STEM (Martin, 2015).

The maker movement places a significant emphasis on the value of experiential learning in an environment that fosters creativity, design, and innovation through hands-on exploration (Bower, et. al., 2020). This movement is closely linked to the Constructionist pedagogy which believes that learners construct their understanding of the world around them by actively engaging in the creation of tangible objects and artifacts, using tools and materials that allow them to explore and experiment with their ideas (Daniela, & Lytras, 2018).

How can this be linked into technology?

Well according to Daniela & Lytras (2018), constructionism can be used to prepare students for a life of using technology. It can help develop digital skills and learning by providing learners with opportunities for project-based, collaborative, and authentic digital learning experiences (Daniela, & Lytras, 2018).

Introducing 3D design and printing into classrooms is a promising emerging technology that has versatile applications across various subjects. It has particularly strong connections to STEM and can be applied to multiple stages of learning. 3D pens offer instant gratification and engagement for students as its hands on and students create and produce objects of their choice. Lessons with 3D pens can focus on the engineering design process, allowing students to follow steps that promote deeper learning and understanding (Ali & Khine, 2020).

Figure 1. Screenshot from EDUC3620 lecture.

A lesson that incorporates 3D pens can be structured around the engineering design process. This process can be split into several lessons to ensure a thorough understanding of the steps. In Lesson 1, students can be grouped and assigned a problem to identify, with the teacher providing a topic to guide their thinking. In Lesson 2, students can work in their groups to design and create a solution. Peer feedback can be valuable during this stage, and students can present their ideas to the class for constructive feedback. In Lesson 3, students can build and program their designs, bringing their ideas to life. Finally, in Lesson 4, students can present their work to the class and test their designs, allowing for a deeper understanding of the engineering design process and the creative possibilities of 3D pens.

Figure 2 & 3. Using a 3D pen to create an object in OCD.

Limitations of 3D printing in education include funding, complexity, and safety concerns. Educators and schools would need to ensure they have thought out lessons and support in the classroom for the correct outcomes to be achieved.

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REFERENCES

Ali, & Khine, M. S. (2020). Integrating 3D printing into teaching and learning : practitioners’ perspectives (Ali & M. S. Khine, Eds.). Brill Sense.

Bower, M., Stevenson, M., Hatzigianni, M., Falloon, G., & Forbes, A. (2020). Makerspaces Pedagogy – Supports and Constraints during 3D Design and 3D Printing Activities in Primary Schools. Educational Media International. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09523987.2020.1744845

Daniela, & Lytras, M. (2018). Learning Strategies and Constructionism in Modern Education Settings. IGI Global.

Martin. (2015). The Promise of the Maker Movement for Education. Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER), 5(1), 30–39. https://doi.org/10.7771/2157-9288.1099

ChatGPT has been used for the final edit of this post.

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