Stratasys is making its mark on the growing 3D printing education market with a new 14 week course aimed to help prepare secondary and post-secondary students for future careers in 3D printing.
Free to vocational, college and university educators worldwide, the curriculum is supported by a set of learning materials including a guide, presentations, 3D models and grading tools which will continue to be refreshed with the help of participating educators.
"We notice a strong demand coming from the industry for a curriculum focusing on 3D printing," says Shelly Linor, director of global education for Stratasys. "Educators around the world now have an opportunity to make a big impact by using and contributing to our curriculum. They will also be able to better prepare their students for future careers as 3D printing is becoming an intrinsic part of the design and manufacturing processes in leading companies.”
The "Introduction to 3D Printing" beginner course starts with the basics of the technology including its history, applications, trends and potential impacts and continues all the way to "4D Printing". The running theme of the course is "Make Something That Moves Something" with a goal to guide students through the process of designing and 3D printing a fully functional part in a single build.
Curriculum materials include presentations such as this on the basics of 3D printing.
Though Stratasys recommends educators use FDM printing technologies for the course, the company insists any 3D printing platform with CAD software and STL support can be used.
Currently schools in Singapore and the U.S. have adopted Stratasys’ 3D printing curriculum. Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston is one of those institutions that has already implemented the course.
Assistant Professor Steve Chomyszak at Wentworth Institute of Technology commented: "There are going to be many instructors out there who would love to teach a course in 3D printing but who simply do not have enough time to do the detailed research and to prepare professional level presentations. Stratasys has now made it much easier for any instructor to offer a college level course on the subject."
