A systematic review of 3D printing in chemistry education – analysis of earlier research and educational use through technological pedagogical content knowledge framework

Abstract

The focus of this systematic literature analysis is to provide a comprehensive review of earlier research on the utilisation of 3D printers in chemistry education. The objective is to offer research-based knowledge for developing chemistry education through following research questions: what kind of work has been done in the field of 3D printing in chemistry education; what kind of design strategies have been implemented; how 3D printing has been used in chemistry education research. The data consists of 47 peer-reviewed articles which were analysed via qualitative content analysis using a technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. Theoretical framework was selected because integrating 3D printing in chemistry education requires knowledge of chemistry, technology, and most importantly, pedagogy. Our research indicates that integrating 3D printing begins by analysing current challenges which are reasoned via pedagogical or technological content knowledge-based arguments. 3D printing was used for producing solutions (e.g. physical models) that support working with found challenges. In chemistry education research, 3D printing has mainly been used for printing research instruments; few studies have investigated its effect on learning or students’ perceptions towards it. There is a great need for comprehensive student-centred pedagogical models for the use of 3D printing in chemistry education.

3D Printing Technology in Education and Some Examples of 3D Printer Technology Materials Applied in Chemistry Education

“…Research on the use of 3D printing technologies in chemistry education has gained momentum especially after 2014. These studies generally focused on the importance of 3D printing technology in chemistry education, the design strategies applied in this field, and the way of application of this technology (Pernaa & Wiedmer, 2019). Regarding research environments, 3D printing has been limited to biomedical applications and engineering, but has enormous potential in chemical sciences as well (Gross et al, 2014).…”

A systematic review of empirical research on learning with3Dprinting technology

“…Several discipline‐specific literature reviews on educational uses of 3DP have been published (e.g., chemistry education, Pernaa & Wiedmer, 2019; surgical education, Martelli et al, 2016). The discipline‐specific literature reviews identify important applications of 3DP to the discipline, focusing on the development and printing process of 3D printed tools and physical models that support working with discipline‐specific challenges.…”

“…However, very few studies included in these reviews reported effects on learning. Many scholars have noted the need for ‘comprehensive student‐centred pedagogical models’ for using 3DP in education (Pernaa & Wiedmer, 2019, p. 1).…”

3D printing lifts the lid on black box instruments

“…The use of additive manufacturing (3D printing) in educational contexts has grown exponentially in the past several years [1][2][3]. Within the educational community, 3D printing has two primary forms: usable laboratory equipment/experiments [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], and in-class demonstrations/models, including orbitals [12,13], surfaces [14,15], molecular models [16][17][18], biological molecules [19][20][21], and data visualization [22,23].…”