How to Make Math Tangible With 3D Printing

A recent report released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows a decrease in mathematical skills of American students – the first since 1990. While the reasoning behind the drop is up for debate, one thing is true; the subject of math is oftentimes one of the hardest to digest by students.

There is an opportunity here to bring the teaching of mathematics to the 21st century and I am not talking about going from a white board to an iPad. The NAEP report is clear – we need to do something to make math more digestible for the students of today or face a continually declining spiral in understanding. In other words, we need a tool that will help engage students and encourage deeper understanding of mathematical concepts by presenting them in a new way.

Frequently relegated to just lines on a chalkboard, theories and lessons aren't always able to break through to students with disabilities – be it learning or physical – but I believe 3D printing is looking to change that.

The next Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution was led by the textile industry, steam power and iron production back in the 1700 to 1800s. One of the pieces that made the revolution so revolutionary was that it took a previously manual process and mechanized it. Recently, the 3D printing industry has been called the next Industrial Revolution due to its capacity to change the way we live our lives on a daily basis. As much as 3D printing will change our lives in both the near and far future, there are other factors to consider before identifying it as the next Industrial Revolution.

To determine how "revolutionary" a change is, it's important to look at the output both before and after to determine if the after results are indeed better. When it comes to 3D printing compared to past methods, this isn't necessarily the case. Dimensional accuracy, throughput, material characteristics and accessibility all have worse outputs than previous technologies. Due to this, we can replace what many think of as the next "Industrial Revolution" by the 3D printing industry and instead deem it a "Quiet Revolution."

There's no denying that 3D printing will have a huge impact across a variety of industries through its specific advantages, but it will never replace traditional methods.

Enhancing learning with 3D printing

Let's take a step back and look at education from an overall perspective. There are areas of opportunity to implement 3D printing across every topic, discipline and subject for students of all ages and backgrounds.

3D printing capabilities add another level to any lesson, enriching the learning process and encouraging students to think outside of the box and discover new ways they can transform their ideas into physical models. Educators should teach children with customized learning that is adjusted for their individual needs and promote independent thinking to show them how they can solve the problems themselves and not just give them the answer. They should also aim to cultivate creativity such as breaking things and experimenting with the results and ultimately, they need to light the spark of curiosity.

With the antiquated tools currently being used in lessons, it can be hard to light a spark among tech-savvy students when it comes to teaching math. However, 3D printing is doing just that in the below three ways.

Fractions

When presented on a board in the front of the class, fractions are a relatively simple concept to understand. You have a pie, for example, and when it's split it up it becomes clear that one third of the pie is much larger than one sixth.

But what happens to that understanding when you take away a key sense – your sight? When learning how to count, you learn that six is greater than three. Imagine how hard it is to then be told that one sixth is less than one third, without being able to see it explained and drawn out in front of you? 3D printing allows for fractions to be taught in a physical sense, giving vision impaired students the opportunity to feel rather than see that the printed object representing one third is indeed larger than the object representing one sixth.

Pythagorean Theorem

The equation itself is easy to remember and repeat: a2 + b2 = c2. And, for the most part, the explanation that the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the two other sides is enough to perform calculations and find answers.

A 3D printed version of the Pythagorean Theorem allows for students to visualize how the squares of the sides exist in relation to each other. By taking the actual square of the two sides adjacent to the hypotenuse and adding the areas of the two squares, it equals the area of the square of the hypotenuse. This physical aid can help students who have trouble visualizing the concept of the theorem.

Geometry

Can you differentiate between a circle, ellipse, parabola or hyperbola? And do you know how each is formed? It's easy to teach the different shapes by drawing them on a board, but 3D printing allows students to see and feel how each one is created from a different slice of a cone.

A circle is a horizontal slice, a slice at an angle is an ellipse, a parallel cut to the edge is a parabola and a vertical cut is a hyperbola. The differences between each of these shapes might seem negligible to the common student, but those studying bullet trajectory, for example, know that a parabola is the trajectory a projectile will follow, and the concept of a hyperbola can be used to show how it's possible to leverage only straight lines and make them look curved.

Math is just one of the many ways that 3D printing will change the educational landscape. From sciences to history, 3D printing allows educators to have a greater line of communication with students and tangibly show them the concepts and ideas that they are relaying through their lessons. No longer will learning be relegated to the chalkboard – it will be available in the palm of your hand.

While we are still a ways away from having 3D printing available to every student, advancements around of low-cost materials, color capabilities and eco-friendly printers are driving the idea forward. While the 3D printing industry in and of itself will not be a revolution, 3D printing in the classroom will be -- consider it the "Educational Revolution."