Effects of 3D Printing and Design Software on Students' Overall Performance

Researchers found that student-centered, technology-integrated learning environments help to produce students who are better able to think critically, solve problems, collaborate with others, and engage deeply in the learning process. Understanding the impact of technology and finding the best ways to integrate technology into the classroom is critical. Because of this, an investigation was conducted to determine whether the use of technology, specifically 3D printers and 3D design software, in a summer camp setting had a positive effect on students’ motivation, interests, and mathematical and technical skills. Five-point Likert scale preand postsurveys were administered to the participants in two summer camps. A paired-sample t-test and one sample t-test were run to see the effect of 3D printers and 3D design software. In addition, Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated to see practical importance. The results revealed a statistically significant increase in some mathematical skills, motivation, and technical skills. The implication of such results will be discussed in detail. Our world is constantly changing, and it is important to embrace it and grow with change. Technology is changing how we interact and learn in amazing ways. Because technology is prevalent in our society, students will be using technology in their careers. Students’ out-ofschool lives are richer in information and communication technology than their in-school lives (Ching, Basham, & Planfetti, 2005)). The decrease in the cost of technology allows many schools to implement technology into curriculums and makes it more accessible to more students (Hollenbeck & Fey, 2009). Students now have access to Excel®, software programs, and other more sophisticated technologies that help their learning process. Thus, using these sophisticated technologies in instructional methods is important. As technology advances and is increasingly incorporated into classrooms, it is important for researchers to understand the implications of using technology to achieve educational goals. Researchers have demonstrated that implementing technology properly enhances not only learning experiences, but also academic performance (Dix 1999; Lavin, Korte & Davis, 2010). All information cannot be presented using paper and pencil. For example, engineering, science, and mathematics require visualization and critical thinking which are limited in paper and pencil classrooms. Healy and Hoyles (1999) stated that the appropriate use of technology could enhance teaching and conceptual development and enrich visualization. Designing through 3D software has shown to allow students to think visually in three dimensions, which improves students’ spatial visualization (Martin-Dorta, Saorin, & Contero, 2008; Ziden, Zakaria, & Othman, 2012). Therefore, understanding the impact of technology and finding the best ways to integrate technology into the classroom is critical for improving students’ performance. Introducing concepts and teaching through technology can get students excited. Using technology in classrooms is a fun way for students to get involved in the lessons because they are able to understand the subject. (Jones, 2000; Hollenbeck &Fey, 2009). Software such as graphing calculators, Geometer’s Sketchpad, etransformation, and Geogebra can be used as effective technological tools in teaching and learning, especially in mathematics classrooms. Seeing real world applications through the use of technology also motivates students to learn (Ching, Basham, & Planfetti, 2005). Thus, adding technology to any discipline can be an effective approach to teaching by enhancing students’ technical skills and allowing them to apply their skills to real-life. Although much research has shown that there are many benefits of technology, some researchers do not agree. A study by Erkoç, Erkoç, and Gecü, (2013) showed that drawing through Google SketchUp did not enhance students’ mental rotation skills any more than drawing by hand. Moreover, educators have concerns that students rely too much on technology and, thus, will not experience true learning (Dror, 2008). For example, calculators are often thought of as an easy route to mathematics, and, because of them, students no longer know how to do simple multiplication or division; but this is not always the case. A calculator can be used as an initial step in developing a conjecture before solving the problem (Hollenbeck & Fey, 2009). Using a calculator can help reduce errors in calculation, making the calculations less tedious and stressful for the student, and drawing his or her focus to more complex mathematics (Goldenberg, 2000; Hollenbeck & Fey, 2009). Such an effective approach to teaching should not be taken away from the classroom when it is enhancing the knowledge of our students like never before. This introduction is followed by a literature review, which examines previous literatures about the impact of technology on students’ mathematical skills, technical skills, and motivation and interest. Next, the author describes how the study is applied by a quantitative approach to examine the ways students engaged in a summer STEM camp with using 3D printing and 3D design software and how that impacted students’ mathematical skills, technical skills, motivation and interest. The author argues that the findings indicate how technology, especially 3D printing and 3D design software, positively affect students’ overall performance during the summer STEM camp. As previous researchers claimed, this study showed how using technology in classrooms affected students in positive ways.