Abstract:

The current research proposes the design and development of teaching materials for three-dimensional (3D) printing applications using Bloom’s revised taxonomy in correlation with specifically selected delivery methods and instructional strategies, in order to enhance targeted competency levels in student learners. Although there is a plethora of available design methodologies and instruments, but not all lead to the development of teaching materials which are equally successful in class. In order to design custom-tailored teaching materials, the authors defined, based on revised Bloom’s taxonomy, 13 cognitive learning objectives and 16 behavioural learning objectives, corelating them with 8 learning styles, 10 delivery methods and 7 instructional strategies. A competency level analysis was undertaken at the beginning of the design process to establish the learning needs. The final developed 3D printing teaching materials ready for pilot testing consisted of: Twenty different custom-made 3D printing and computer aided design (CAD) PDF Guides for AM Start-Up Applications;  Twenty 3D printed custom-made physical prototypes for products within the selected topics; sixty custom-made computer files necessary for product design and development (20 CAD files, 20 STL files, 20 GCode/ ZCode/ ZCodex files); Ten MS PowerPoint (PPT) presentations on specific 3D printing application domains, technologies and individual case studies; Twenty-five 3D printed complex assembled prototypes for general applications; One comprehensive database (with 300 entries) for open source 3D printing community resources; Specific team-centered training sessions for MEX & DLP equipment usage, maintenance and service. All developed teaching materials were tested in a real-life scenario and feedback was collected for revision and improvement of materials.