Using 3D Printed Teaching Pass-Arounds for Mechanical Design Courses

Abstract— Inexpensive additive-manufacturing (three-dimensional printers) allows faculty to create tools that address diverse learning styles, especially visual and kinesthetic learners. Inexpensive 3D-printing has unleashed solid mechanics instructor creativity to produce physical representations of the mechanical parts being taught. These 3D-printed "pass-arounds" are touched and manipulated by students as important design features are introduced and discussed. 3D printing capability allows an engineering instructor to develop and implement ideas for new teaching aids quickly. This paper presents five different solid mechanics and mechanical design teaching aids that were rapidly conceived, designed, printed, and implemented within two semesters of acquiring a dedicated instructor 3D printer. The tools generated enhanced student learning and helped them build connections between what's on paper and real objects in a constructivist manner. There is considerable potential for instructor creativity while developing innovative solutions quickly, but these ideas can also be easily shared with other instructors as open-source printable files. This paper demonstrates the example ideas with the purpose of sharing the tools and inspiring fellow faculty to improve and build upon them. These teaching tools and more like them can be printed with inexpensive printers making them accessible everyone.