High School Students’ Experience of a 3D Printing Station at a Bilingual School Makerspace in Kuwait

Abstract

In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) printing has become more accessible to school makerspaces (places for making projects using different tools), as prices are dropping and more schools are becoming able to afford 3D printers. Schools in Kuwait need evidence that 3D printing aids education in order to justify purchasing more 3D printers and provide teachers with training to find ways to integrate it into their curricula. This qualitative case study examines 3D printing and the users of this technology so as to better understand 3D printing’s impact on education. It presents the results of a survey asking high school students about the skills they developed during 3D printing projects and field notes collected in a 3D printing station in a school makerspace. I employed two theoretical models to frame this study and enrich the discussion: a 21st-century learning framework and the Dynamic Decision-Making Model. Participants reported that they developed a number of skills during their 3D projects, such as collaboration, communication and technology. Moreover, the author also found a lack of connection between this kind of technology and its instructional value. The issue which was found in this research is that many users of the above-mentioned technology face problems with it because it is still under development.Keywords: 3D printing; makerspaces; maker movementPart of the Special Issue Technology enhanced learning in the MENA region <https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.1fd869f8>