From concept to reality: the use and impact of 3D prints as academic tools for high school biology education

ABSTRACT

While Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is essential in the high school curriculum, it often carries a reputation of being formidable and overwhelming. The resulting unease students often face inhibits their ability to learn effectively; thus it can be beneficial to integrate a more familiar approach to teach them such complex topics. We have developed a technology-enabled learning environment surrounding the use of 3D prints focused on the topics of homoeostasis and immunity for a ninth grade Living Environment class. The teacher and students’ surveys reveal that the 3D prints helped the students to effectively learn the material leading to a better understanding and retention of the topics. The results from the students’ performance, as well as the teacher and students’ feedback from the activity, demonstrate the effectiveness of 3D prints on maintaining their interest through a student-centred, student-led learning activity.

KEYWORDS:

• Education
• learning
• interactive technology
• high school science
• virus 3D models
• living environment class

Availability of Data and Materials

All materials that were used to collect data can be found in the Supplementary Materials section.

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [DMR 1420073,DMR 1728858].