3D printing, and its ability to create perfect replicas of microscopic particles and blow them up to thousands of times their original size, has also enabled researchers and students to study things like pollen, for example, in a tactile way that wasn’t previously possible. At the other end of the spectrum, 3D printing can scale the universe down to a cube that can be held in the palm of a hand. There’s virtually no limit to the concepts that can be elucidated with a 3D printer, and a group of scientists at the Institute of Materials Science in Barcelona (ICMAB) have designed a course that uses the technology to teach high school students about the growing field of materials science.
The three-day course was designed for high school teachers to refresh their own knowledge of materials science, as well as providing them with tools to teach their students about the subject in a hands-on way. The subject of materials science can be a difficult one to grasp, particularly in a standard classroom setting; what student hasn’t glazed over when listening to a lecture about microstructures? The ICMAB course, however, introduced tools that not only give students a hands-on, interactive learning experience but allow them to use their artistic skills as well.
For example, the cubic structure is the one most commonly found in nature, appearing in materials such as gold. The reason for its prevalence is simply because it’s simple and, thus, easy to replicate. The students, as they complete the structures with their 3Doodlers, will play the role of nature itself, building new materials and seeing the logic behind the creation and replication of particular elements.
Also included in the kit were 3D printed models of atomic force microscopy images created using an open source technology developed at ICMAB and currently being utilized at institutions including Texas A&M University and Keysight Technologies. The course was developed by Anna Crespi, Judit Oró, Maite Simon, and Andrés Gómez, and was funded by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera, a foundation dedicated to supporting innovation and development in Spain. Let’s discuss this educational course concept further in the ICMAB High Schooler’s 3D Printing Class forum over at 3DPB.com.