PrintLab Mini-Courses for Educators
Learn everything you need to know about 3D printing in the classroom. Our collection of 9+ mini courses guide you through 3D design and printing essentials. Included in all PrintLab Classroom license options.
An Introduction to 3D Printing
The course begins with an in-depth introduction to 10 essential principles of 3D printing, emphasising its technologies, opportunities, and limitations. It features interactive digital exploration of 3D models, enhancing comprehension of the printing process and industry.
Benefits of 3D Printing in Education
This course section delves into the significance and advantages of 3D printing in education, using visual infographics to present survey results from educators and experts. Participants also share their insights and perspectives on the top benefits.
Introduction to Tinkercad Software
The 3D printing journey starts with creating a model using free tools like Tinkercad. This course section teaches how to use Tinkercad in diverse classrooms and set up a teacher account to manage students.
3D Modelling Basics
After setting up your Tinkercad teacher account, you’ll dive into 3D modeling basics. The section offers tutorials and challenges on tools like navigating the workspace, placing objects, and advanced techniques like mirroring and combining shapes.
Designing for 3D Printing
Through a series of videos illustrating good and bad practices, you’ll learn essential design tips for 3D printing. These insights will enable you to guide students and identify ‘unprintable’ models they submit.
Slicing for 3D Printing
In this section, discover 10 crucial slicer settings to optimize your 3D printer’s performance. Dive into topics from print speed to outer layer thickness for higher quality prints.
The PrintLab Curriculum Framework
3D printing offers diverse integration opportunities in classroom settings. This section presents a popular framework from PrintLab Classroom to structure such lessons.
Classroom Management
When teaching 3D printing, challenges like limited time, printers, and budgeting for materials may arise. This course section offers tips to make the process more efficient and manageable.
Frequently asked questions
How long do the mini courses take?
The mini courses are completely self-paced so you can fit them around your own routine. Although highly dependent on your skill level amongst other things, we estimate that each mini-course will take between 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete.
What software will I require in order to participate in the course?
A key focus of this course is 3D modelling, which we believe is one of the most important aspects of the 3D printing process. Our recommended software when getting started with 3D printing is Tinkercad, which is browser-based and completely free! For working with more advanced students, we also offer mini-courses in Autodesk Fusion. Several sections of the course will require you to create and use a Tinkercad account, but don’t worry if you haven’t got an account yet as there is a section that goes through this process.
Is there a trial period or demo available for the mini-courses?
Try our mini-courses for free with a 7-day trial of PrintLab Classroom (no credit card required). This trial will also give you access to the entire PrintLab platform, including 40+ fully-resourced lesson plans, challenges, and projects.
Do I need a specific 3D printer to participate in the course?
Absolutely not. All the material on PrintLab Classroom is suitable for use with any FFF/FDM 3D printer. In fact, you can even complete this course without a 3D printer.
Are there any prerequisites or prior knowledge needed to start the mini-courses?
The mini-courses are designed for educators of all levels of experience and ability. They start from basics of 3D design and printing before moving to more advanced topics like preparing CAD models in Fusion.