Tangible teaching aids can provide a valuable supplement to traditional textbook-based learning of fundamental STEM concepts. 3D-printed templates detailing the construction of simple parallel and series circuits were incorporated into the lesson plans for 6th-grade introductory physics. Aiming to introduce the concepts of junction and loop rules…

This work presents a homemade multirole 3D-printed modular spectrometer(MPMS), which can be easily assembled like bricks and expanded with several modules to measure different types of spectra, such as UV-vis absorption, fluorescence emission, flame emission/absorption, glow discharge, and even Raman spectra. The spectrometer is designed to be…

3D printers have facilitated a wealth of 3D printed molecular models illustrating key structural concepts for student learning. However, general adoption of 3D printed models in the organic chemistry classroom proceeds slowly as the majority of consumer-grade 3D (fused deposition modeling (FDM) and resin) printers are inherently monochromatic,…

Upper-division undergraduate students are introduced to polymer processing using material extrusion fused filament fabrication 3D printing to make poly(lactic acid) (PLA) mechanical testing specimens. Computer aided design and slicing software packages are used to demonstrate the process of preparing 3D computer models for printing. Following the…

Augmented reality (AR) is a means of superimposing artificial 3D objects over the real world via a mobile device. An AR standard file format has been recently implemented on mobile devices that current students commonly own. Here we describe three relatively nontechnical methods to produce 3D AR objects for chemistry courses and demonstrate their…

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the activities designed with 3D printing technology on the teaching of the sixth-grade systems in our body unit and to determine the views of students on this technology. In this study, a mixed research design in which quantitative and qualitative research methods are used together was…

Protein ORIGAMI (http://ibg.kit.edu/protein_origami) is a browser-based web application that allows the user to create straightforward 3D paper models of folded peptides for research, teaching and presentations. An amino acid sequence can be turned into a-helices, ß-strands and random coils that can be printed out and folded into properly scaled…

The increased availability of noncommercial 3D printers has provided instructors and students improved access to printing technology. However, printing complex ball-and-stick molecular structures faces distinct challenges, including the need for support structures that increase with molecular complexity. MolPrint3D is a software add-on for the…

The 2020 pandemic involving SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) resulted in a rapid shift to online education for instructors at every level around the world. This shift occurred with little training and minimal resources available due to the rapidity of onset. In this technology report, we describe the use of 3D printing to rapidly manufacture mounts for…

In this paper, we present the details of the development of a smartphone spectrometer for education using a 3D printer and characterized the performance by comparison with a paper craft spectrometer. The optical design and the narrow slit used in the build resulted in the formation of accurate images of the slit on the image sensor leading to a…

3D printers can do a lot more than just printing nice little giveaways such as keyring pendants or chess pieces. During a project at the Holbein-Gymnasium Augsburg in Bavaria, Germany, students developed a number of helpful tools for chemistry lessons and tested them in classes. Full details of these are now available for free to any teacher who…

This article presents the results of a study on the use of 3-D printed models in a science classroom for students with visual impairments and examines whether the use of these models impacts student conceptual understanding and misconceptions related to geosciences concepts, specifically plate tectonics. Data were collected one week prior to…

Three-dimensional (3D) chemical models are a well-established learning tool used to enhance the understanding of chemical structures by converting two-dimensional paper or screen outputs into realistic three-dimensional objects. While commercial atom model kits are readily available, there is a surprising lack of large molecular and orbital models…

Tangible models help students and researchers visualize chemical structures in three dimensions (3D). 3D printing offers a unique and straightforward approach to fabricate plastic 3D models of molecules and extended solids. In this article, we prepared a series of digital 3D design files of molecular structures that will be useful for teaching…

A 3D printer is used to prepare a variety of models representing potential energy as a function of two geometric coordinates. These models facilitate the teaching of structure-energy relationships in molecular conformations and in chemical reactions.