{"id":2512,"date":"2017-07-07T06:53:49","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T06:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=2512"},"modified":"2018-05-22T16:32:33","modified_gmt":"2018-05-22T16:32:33","slug":"uf-idigfossils-education070720174","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/uf-idigfossils-education070720174\/","title":{"rendered":"The Univeristy of Florida brings 3D printing to education"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following their creation of 3D printed medical implants<\/a>; the University of Florida (UF) is back in the news again for a new domain, education. Researchers at UF have been working on a National Science Foundation-funded program called iDigFossils, which offers curriculum on complex subjects in science, using 3D printed fossil replicas.<\/p>\n

UF isn\u2019t the first university to start looking at ways to incorporate 3D printing into education, with the University of Waterloo in Canada investing millions<\/a> into it, as well as corporations such as GE<\/a> and organizations like America Makes<\/a>, doing their best to evolve 3D printing further within education. But, what makes UF\u2019s 3D printing educational endeavor so interesting is that it is helping students to better visualize and understand difficult or complex topics in a way that wasn\u2019t possible before.<\/p>\n

\"iDigFossils\"

Virtual model of the Megalodon teeth. Students 3D printed replicas of the 46 teeth and used them to estimate Megalodon\u2019s length. Photo\/\/ Jeff Gage<\/p><\/div>\n

To bring their program to life, UF took fossils from the Florida Museum of Natural History\u2019s digital collections, which included bones from three-toed horses, giant ground sloths, and a Megalodon, the world\u2019s largest shark. Taking these digital collections, the University was able to create replicas of them using 3D printing.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Working with students in grades K-12, UF created interactive lessons that encourage the students to be inquisitive and flex their brain muscles to think like scientists. In order to create these lessons, researchers worked alongside K-12 teachers to design and create \u201cbrain-stimulating activities.\u201d In addition, by using 3D printed replicas of fossils, students were able to interact with fossils in ways that aren\u2019t possible when they\u2019re behind a display case. \u201cThis is revolutionizing how kids interact with fossils by enabling them to have hands-on experiences with specimens they otherwise wouldn\u2019t have access to,\u201d said Bruce MacFadden<\/p>\n\n\t\t