While schools struggle financially, capital for purchasing physical learning aids is often cut. To determine if costs could be reduced for learning aids, this study analyzed classroom-based distributed digital manufacturing using 3-D printing of open-source learning aid designs. Learning aid designs are analyzed in detail for their economic viability considering printing and assembly costs with purchased components and compared to equivalent or inferior commercial products available on Amazon. The results show current open-source 3-D printers are capable of manufacturing useful learning aids and that doing so provides high economic savings in the classroom. Overall, the average learning aid would save teachers 86% when fabricating it themselves. The results show that the average design evaluated was downloaded over 1,500 times and the average savings per year per open-source learning aid design was USD 11,822. To date, the 38 learning aid designs evaluated in this study saved over USD 45,000 each and the total of all of them saved the international educational community over USD 1.7 million. It is clear that investing in the development of open-source learning aids for students provides a return on investment (ROI) for investors hoping to improve education, on average, of more than 100%.
Keywords[edit | edit source]
learning aid; distributed manufacturing; economics; open source; digital designs; teaching tools; education aid; open-source designs;3-D printing;Open-source hardware;STEM education;Transformative education;RepRap;additive manufacturing;sustainability education;maker movement
See also[edit | edit source]
- Open-source 3-D printing Technologies for Education: Bringing Additive Manufacturing to the Classroom
- Bridging the Social and Environmental Dimensions of Global Sustainability in STEM Education with Additive Manufacturing
- Category:MOST RepRap build
- Delta Build Workshop
- The RepRap 3-D Printer Revolution in STEM Education
- Implementing Self-Replicating Rapid Prototypers (RepRaps) into a Mechanical/Manufacturing Program
- Evaluation of RepRap 3D Printer Workshops in K-12 STEM
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