GENERATIVE DESIGN IN 3D PRINTING EDUCATION

Abstract

The paper examines how generative design and 3D printing can be incorporated in the contemporary design education and how it will enhance the computational creativity as well as reflective practice and interdisciplinary learning. This study will apply the design-based mixed-method approach to analysis, based on the constructivist, constructionist, and experiential theories of learning, to address whether the use of algorithmic modeling and additive manufacturing can have an impact on the student learning outcomes. An implementation framework was developed and executed based on project based modules in which exploration, parametrical modeling and concrete prototyping were highlighted through iterations. Quantitative data revealed that the areas of the computational literacy (↑44.8), creativity (↑48.3) and reflective learning (↑65.4) changed significantly, but the qualitative data indicated that the engagement and cognitive flexibility increased. Findings indicate that generative design brings about a paradigm shift in the sense of following the tools acquisition to co-create ideas, and technology is considered a proactive partner in the design thinking. The article also singles out the issues of algorithmic authorship, data ethics, and accessibility and concludes that adaptive AI-based and policy-affirmative models of the sustainable implementation of the curriculum are required. This work of writing contributes to a replicable model of pedagogy which is a combination of calculation, creativity and material experimentation; a redefinition of future of design education.