Wake Technical Community College (WTCC) has completed its three-year Model 3D (Award 1400458) grant activities and has succeeded in integrating additive manufacturing into seven curriculum education classes in two separate academic divisions - Applied Engineering & Technologies and Mathematics, Science & Engineering.

The goals of the Model 3D project were to:

1. Strengthen WTCC curriculum by adapting a suite of courses that cut across disciplines by incorporating rigorous STEM rapid prototyping technologies; this will help meet diverse learners' need and strengthen employability competencies. The Model 3D team integrated additive manufacturing (AM) into courses taken by 60 percent of WTCC curriculum students.  These courses are BIO 111 (General Biology I); BIO 168 (Anatomy & Physiology); DFT 154 (Intro to Solid Modeling); DFT 170 (Engineering Graphics); EGR 150 (Intro to Engineering); EGR 285 (Applied Engineering Capstone Project); and TDP 110 (Intro to 3D Printing).  Educators had opportunities to design and help students produce 3D products in classes making use of AM technology-enhancing STEM gateway courses. These products included hooks for Physics experiments; drone accessories; cup holders for vehicles; rovers; puzzles; and lab accessories for undergraduate entomology research.  The instructors used a variety of raw materials including PLA and ABS and incorporated microprocessor (Arduino) technology into several projects.  Faculty reported that Model 3D became "one more tool at their disposal in preparing WTCC students for success in today's technologically advanced manufacturing workspace."  To accommodate the growth in interest across departments, the Model 3D project team developed a Model 3D descriptor template, a form to catalogue what projects were being proposed and how faculty planned to integrate Model 3D into their course curriculum.  The team also created a website and free online repository of 3D printing resources, including guidelines for how to get started using 3D modeling for instruction.

2. Improve student learning, performance, and skill acquisition by creating activities that combine theory and practice. Students in Biology were provided with 3D printed models of cells, viruses, and other micro-organisms and were encouraged to identify key components of them using art techniques such as painting and airbrushing.  Instructors in applied engineering courses designed semester-long integrative projects in which students designed, journalled about, and prototyped products such as drone accessories and cellphone for holders for microscopes used in the Natural Sciences Department.  The Model 3D team also offered professional development to 24 faculty on Universal Design for Learning (UDL).  Overall, findings suggest that student learning is improved through Model 3D in a variety of ways.  In some courses, such as BIO 111, the retention rate increased in additive manufacturing-supplemented courses from 85 to 97 percent; retention in EGR 285 increased five percentage points to 100 percent in SP 2017.  Students continued to learn software applications such as Solidworks, engage in inquiry-based/failure-based learning methods, and built teams for project-based learning that crossed disciplines.  Data suggest that students reap experiential benefits from exposure to AM, and instructors have demonstrated that an approach to learning that incorporates UDL principles is effective.

3. Collaborate with industry and secondary education partners by bridging the gap between academic institutions and the business sector.  Industry partnerships played an important role in the Model 3D project.  The team engaged 10 business and NGO partners by creating an institutional advisory committee for 3D Printing.  Two students were able to secure work-based learning opportunities with local additive manufacturers, and a strong business alliance provided important feedback for capstone project students in applied and engineering courses. Additionally, the Model 3D team disseminated information to the public at three community Makerspace events, five community outreach events, one legislative day with state senators and representatives. To serve community college professionals, the team worked with eight other community colleges and offered 12 WTCC professional development sessions to build capacity in incorporate AM into instructional activities.  The team also created and implemented an undergraduate research project with NC Central University.  The team also provided STEM activities to create interest in AM in child, teen, and adult audiences.  These included six Department of Public Instruction and Wake County Public School sessions and a STEM summer day camp for 27 middle school females.  The team maintained social media presence through Instagram and Twitter.

WTCC proved that cross-divisional, cross-disciplinary grant initiatives could be successful with faculty and staff committed to improving student learning in innovative and varied ways.  As the institution looks at the future of applied and academic learning, AM will continue to play a significant role, as the number of courses that utilize the technology will continue to expand. As the institution moves out of grant funding into a sustainability phase, it is offering professional development for faculty and staff, work-based learning for students, and activities for the community to highlight how unlimited the world of AM design and prototyping can be.

Last Modified: 09/26/2017
Modified by: Patricia Godin