Makers Empire 3D Printing Learning Program

The Makers Empire Learning Program provides everything primary schools need to introduce 3D design and printing to their students today. It includes training and professional learning for educators and focuses on teaching problem solving through Design Thinking. The program be scaled up with remote delivery of software and training.

Solution...

The Makers Empire 3D Printing Learning Program provides everything a primary school needs to start 3D printing today. It includes:

• Makers Empire 3D - design software easy enough for a 5 year old to use
• Curriculum – giving teaching ideas and alignment
• Professional Learning – pedagogical approach and practical training
• Teacher’s Dashboard – so students and classes can be managed

Benefits:

• Recognizes that teacher capability building is essential.
• Show teachers how to teach young students Design Thinking.
• Uses a relevant, engaging and future technology – 3D printing – as the central tool.
• Improves student spatial ability.
• Has high engagement with girls.
• Exposes all students to a STEM subject.
• Takes advantages of technology to scale.

Challenge...

There are two skills our program develops:

• 3D printing is a rapidly developing technology – it is in a similar place to where computing was in the early 1980’s. At that time, personal computers were just becoming accessible and students who were exposed to that early technology went on to have huge advantages – for example, students could have learned about spreadsheets in the 1980’s – a still relevant skill 30 years later. 3D printing is in a similar place and those students exposed to the technology now will have huge advantages in the future.
• Design Thinking – a problem solving methodology that will help students throughout their lives.

Scaled..

Advanced manufacturing with technologies like 3D printing is poised to make huge inroads into many industries. Students with these skills will have a huge advantage.

Our program focuses on giving students the tools they need to become problem seekers and problem solvers. It empowers them to see the possibilities of what they can do themselves and how problems can be tackled collaboratively

We cannot predict what jobs the students of today will have in their lifetimes. It is important that teachers focus on teaching transferable skills that will be useful no matter what the future holds and a relevant context for this teaching.

Our program::

• Focuses on teacher training and capability building around Design Thinking - teaching students thinking and problem solving skills.
• Uses 3D printing as both an engagement tool and relevant technology.
• Targets 5-13 year-olds. Knowing that exposure to new ideas and technology is essential at young age - children will not choose subjects/career paths they know nothing about.

A recent ‘genius’ study found that spatial ability ‘may be the largest known untapped source of human potential’, whilst 3D-printing is considered a key technology in K-12 STEM education.

To be effective, especially in primary schools, support and teacher capability building is essential – the teachers are the gatekeepers to their students.

We have worked with hundreds of schools, thousands of teachers and have research testifying to the efficacy of our program. These include: teacher case studies, a WestEd research report, and evaluation reports from state education departments. We are about to being another research study with an Australian university.

The impact: Students will be equipped with modern problem solving schools and be more likely to choose STEM subjects. Teachers will receive practical training and professional learning.

Benefit: our program is targeted at 5-13 year olds – the program will focus on increasing spatial abilities and learning Design Thinking. Students and teachers will be exposed to advanced manufacturing through 3D design and printing. Students will better understand future options and have a head-start with this technology.

Deployment will be on-site and remote – a model we’ve been developing over the last 3 years.

Track number of teachers completing program - 200 teachers will benefit from our program

Track student numbers and engagement in app - 3000 students will create accounts and designs

A system for measuring STEM and Design Thinking skills will be developed and used to measure student progress. It will be based on previous reporting and testing we’ve done. - Student improvement

We have developed our own 3D design software that is touch-optimized and usable by the students as young as 5. It is the only 3D design software in the world usable by students so young.

Our program combines our easy-to-use software with world class professional learning (focused on Design Thinking) and technical training.

Our program can be delivered face-to-face, blended or completely remotely.

Our program has been used by hundreds of schools, thousands of teachers and hundreds of thousands of students.

We have spent countless hours in schools - and we continue to visit schools every week. Our team is made up of educators and technologists sharing a common goal of bringing 3D design and printing technology and the Design Thinking process to as many students as possible.

We focus on teacher capability building – we do not want to run student workshops that come into the school once a year. Instead, we want to build the skills and confidence of existing primary/elementary school teachers so they can introduce Design Thinking across the curriculum and use 3D printing in all subjects.

Our technology is Internet based – the Makers Empire 3D design software and the Teacher’s Dashboard.

Our training can be provided via self-paced video, live video conference (technology permitting) and face-to-face.

As a primarily software based program we are able tailor the cost based on the amount of face-to-face time required.

We sell a subscription to our program to schools in Australia, USA and China.

Our product becomes cheaper on a per-unit basis as more schools sign up and as the rapidly developing 3D printer technology advances.

We are currently testing a consumer/parent strategy that will help fund the team – this involves students selling their creations via our website with printing being managed by 3rd party printer bureaus. This is only now becoming viable as printer bureau costs have come down.

Product suitability to target markets: whilst we have worked in many different schools (public/private/ low socioeconomic status) we have not worked in all the countries targeted in this project.

Connections in target locations: we will require connections and networking in the countries targeted by this program.

Technology improvements: our 3D design and printing program presumes the continual improvement of 3D printing hardware (making it more affordable). Failure of this to eventuate will harm the program.

https://twitter.com/makersempire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFPu_OJyyTI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRiw2Uemow0

We require support, advice and the connections that Solve can provide.

We have school customers in the north-east of the USA and have been recently added to the New York State Contract allowing schools there to more easily adopt our program. This means we will be able to connect face-to-face with the Solve team more regularly.

NewSchools Venture Fund (USA – venture philanthropy), Department for Education and Child Development (South Australia), Weistek (China – 3D printing company), Polar 3D (USA – 3D printing company), 2x Australian universities (partnership not yet public).

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