An Educational CAD Model Library (CAD Library) is being developed by collaborating educational associations affiliated with the National Technology Leadership Summit coalition. The CAD Library’s Curators’ Council has developed descriptive metadata fields that will be associated with each educational object published in the library. These fields are designed to facilitate search and discovery of objects by teachers who are increasingly well positioned to use these objects in their instruction due to the increasing presence of school-based makerspaces and the 3D printers, digital die cutters, and other fabrication tools. The publication of these metadata standards makes them available to the members of the educational associations participating in the development of the CAD Library and to other relevant stakeholders for feedback to inform ongoing revisions.
Objects to Think With
Editors: Glen Bull & Ryan Novitski
Technical Editors: Jo Watts & Rachel Gibson
Editorial Board: Jason Trumble, Liz Whitewolf, Michael Littman & Lauren Seigel
Contemporary Issues in Educational Design and Fabrication (ED&F) is sponsored by the International Technology and Engineering Education Association (ITEEA). During the past decade, many schools have established maker spaces with 3D printers, digital die cutters, and other fabrication tools. The educational effectiveness of fabrication tools in K-12 maker spaces requires access to useful Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) models and associated instructional supports. ED&F provides a site for review and publication of CAD models designed for K-12 education. Each submission should include:
1. an open-source educational CAD file or files and associated instructional materials such as fabrication and assembly instructions, instructional videos, and lesson plans, and
2. an accompanying article describing instructional use of the model and results of a pilot implementation in a classroom in a manner that will enable K-12 teachers to replicate this use.
Articles submitted for review may address the elements such as: (a) educational objectives and alignment with educational standards, (b) prior instances of use of related models and historical connections, (c) design considerations and challenges (d) fabrication and assembly instructions, (e) recommendations for revision and remixing, (f) explanation of ways in which students will demonstrate their understanding, and (g) description of pilot use in a K-12 classroom. Additional materials such as associated instructional videos can also be submitted. Once accepted, the article will be published in the journal with a link to the corresponding model in an educational CAD Model Repository.
Send inquiries about submission of articles and associated CAD models to: [email protected]
Most Recent
Establishing an Educational CAD Model Ecosystem
During the past decade, many K-12 schools have established makerspaces with 3D printers, digital die cutters, and other fabrication tools. An open-source ecosystem is being developed to facilitate effective use of educational makerspaces. This work is being undertaken under the auspices of the National Technology Leadership Summit coalition, which includes national teacher educator associations in science education (ASTE), educational technology (SITE), engineering education (ITEEA), and mathematics education (AMTE), and the Fab Foundation – a network of more than 2,500 Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs). This effort is supported by a National Science Foundation Pathways to Open-Source Ecosystems Phase I planning grant (NSF No. 2229627).
Learning Mathematics with Mathematical Objects: Cases of Teacher-Made Mathematical Manipulatives
Access to maker technologies has catalyzed and amplified the possibilities for creating physical materials that are responsive to the needs of students. Opportunities for design and fabrication of original mathematics manipulatives have been incorporated into the teacher education program at Montclair State University. Participating preservice elementary teachers design and make original mathematics manipulatives. Three case studies examine ways in which this process enhances students’ mathematical reasoning, sense-making, and understanding. The designs created are made available through links to the open source Educational CAD Model Repository, enabling others to replicate the objects described.
Linear Motor Laboratory
This paper describes use of a linear motor as a starting point for introducing related electricity and magnetism concepts. The Linear Motor Laboratory consists of a series of mechanisms and student learning activities centered around a reconstruction of the Charles Page Electromagnetic Engine patented in 1854. This work was undertaken in the Make to Learn Laboratory at the University of Virginia in consultation with the curators at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The original patent model in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution was used as a reference for modern-day reconstructions. Instructions for fabrication of a linear motor and associated Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) files are available in the Educational CAD Model Repository.