New 3D Printing Curricula for NVLibrary Includes Intro to Design, Engineering, Prosthetics

Many educators are more than anxious to get 3D printers into their schools on all grade levels. As teachers tend to be of curious and often innovative spirit themselves, many have already been exploring or may have become well-versed in the wonders of digital design, 3D printing, and the resulting innovations. It’s not uncommon before a 3D printing curriculum enters a higher-learning institution for a professor to house a 3D printer in his office, piquing the interest of students and eventually causing enough enthusiasm to merit a program.

Often though, schools are interested in implementing 3D printing programs but no one has any training or further learning mechanisms to draw on. Both students and teachers are forced to learn together, hand in hand, which is great for bonding and learning together as a group through trial and tribulation, but with no sense of added materials to draw from, support, structure, or training, everyone involved has the potential to become frustrated — and not only that, the program runs a good risk of failing after considerable initial expense and setup.

While flying free without any curriculum may seem easier in some cases, accentuating the learning with a catalog of materials is much more fulfilling for all in the end. Reaching out for classroom support and technical support as well is crucial to the journey for most teachers.

NVBOTS, headquartered in Boston, is a company we’ve enjoyed following for quite some time, as they launched the first fully automated 3D printer, donated 3D printers to schools, and offered student workshops.

With the availability of their NVLibrary, meant to offer educational support and 3D printable components, this is a dynamic company going in all the right directions to see that everyone has both access to and training in 3D printing.

Their latest endeavor offers new lesson plans in the NVLibrary which will cater to those working in the areas of design, prosthetics, and engineering. This covers some pretty large ground, and should gain good exposure for introducing new educators to the helpful and innovative catalog of materials.

“For 3D printing to truly be embraced and integrated within a school, adoption needs to be simple and NVBOTS makes that possible,” said CEO AJ Perez.

The curricula are meant for the easiest integration into class possible, and include:

• Introduction to 3D Design – a module meant to how to use digital design technology, as well as participating in activities, with the culmination in actually making a 3D printed object.
• 3D Printing for Prosthetics – students learn about how 3D printing is changing the world of prosthetics, and they engage in a project which allows them to 3D print a hand.
• Introduction to Engineering – beginning students learn to do basic engineering drawings and engage in comprehensive learning about the field, coupled with 3D printing.

“Teachers taking advantage of our NVLibrary lesson plans are able to easily weave 3D printing into their existing curricula, allowing them to expose students to the real-world application experiences necessary for confidence building. The result? They are able to challenge the status quo and innovate in ways never before thought possible, ultimately bringing their ideas to life,” said Perez.

Each course is designed toward meeting the outlined requirements for Common Core State Standards, as well as Next Generation State Standards.

As expansion for the futuristic library continues, NVBOTS plans soon to integrate 3D printable curricula for disciplines such as:

• Geography and history of Greece
• The cotton gin
• The Trojan horse
• USS Monitor

Each learning area is considered to be a module and is not only easy to learn, but easy to share. The NVLibrary is an extension of their famed NVPro 3D printer which offers a cloud-based interface allowing constant operation.

Discuss your thoughts on integrating 3D printing in schools on all levels in the New NVLibrary 3D Printing Curricula forum thread over at 3DPB.com.