3-D printing in a first-year engineering design project

Abstract

The current study is a work in progress. First-Year Engineering Students from a medium-sized, urban, public university took part in a semester long design project. The Honors Students (1 section or approximately 20% of the class) had an additional design project that utilized 3D print technologies. During the 2015-2016 school year the honors students worked in small groups to develop a concept that was then 3D printed for a design competition and then students had the opportunity to revise their design for a final design competition. Course instructors assessed the experience to better understand how the use of 3D printing technologies could be used as an educational method to teach the design process. Students participated in three anonymous surveys. The surveys were administered at: (1) the start of the fall semester to all students (honors and non-honors) for baseline data, (2) after the first 3D Print experience (a car), and (3) after the second 3D print experience (flying disc). Findings indicate that 3D Printing based projects are perceived to be both interesting and relevant by students; further there were no statistically significant differences between male and female or honors and non-honors students in terms of their prior experiences with the technology or in their interest in learning about the technology.