Funcionamento de uma impressora 3D e sua utilidade para a construção de modelos para o ensino de Física

Abstract

The emerging 3D printing technology has driven numerous practical applications in many sectors and has introduced opportunities for new teaching practices in a variety of disciplines and educational environments. The benefits offered by this technology in the school environment include greater student involvement in the proposed activities, the ability to visualize and better understand theoretical concepts and the integration of practical and theoretical skills. In Physics education, or other areas of natural sciences, the possibility of manufacturing specific models or improving the functionality of pre-existing models, makes 3D printing a great ally for teachers, since models can play a significant epistemological and pedagogical role in science education. Despite the potential of using this technology to create teaching materials and learning opportunities, little have been discussed about the need to acquire specific skills and competences to effectively integrate 3D printing in education. Our goal with this work is to provide a resource for educators and students interested in incorporating 3D-printing into their science classrooms. For this purpose we show how to perform the initial setup and first printing using the Creality Ender-3 model 3D printer. In addition to the technical details related to the use of the 3D printer, 3D modeling software, the evaluation of processes and printing materials, we also show the advantages of using printed models, with examples, for teaching Physics subjects and propose other activities to help teachers transform their science classes into a motivating and effective learning environment.