Purpose

Many scholars and practitioners have attempted innovative teaching practices in an effort to make complex ideas easier to comprehend and retain. The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between learning and the use of 3D models created to provide physical representations of abstract concepts students could hold and manipulate.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quasi-experimental design, we test both the students' initial comprehension of the concept and their retention of the information four weeks later when the course concluded.

Findings

Findings included an initial boost in information retention and a likely increased retention of the information, showing promising trajectories for incorporating 3D objects to enhance teaching in the classroom.

Originality/value

This study provides a unique analysis of the use of 3D printing technology to illustrate abstract concepts. This teaching innovation provides another example of how technology can enhance and engage students through active learning. We find that this approach can increase student retention of material.

中文翻译：

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制造概念：使用自定义 3D 模型教授抽象概念

目的

许多学者和实践者尝试了创新的教学实践，以使复杂的想法更容易理解和保留。本研究的目的是测试学习与使用创建的 3D 模型之间的关系，这些模型用于提供学生可以持有和操作的抽象概念的物理表示。

设计/方法/方法

使用准实验设计，我们测试了学生对概念的初步理解以及课程结束后四个星期后他们对信息的保留。

发现

调查结果包括信息保留的初步提升和信息保留的可能增加，显示了合并 3D 对象以增强课堂教学的有希望的轨迹。

原创性/价值

这项研究对使用 3D 打印技术来说明抽象概念进行了独特的分析。这种教学创新提供了另一个例子，说明技术如何通过主动学习来增强和吸引学生。我们发现这种方法可以增加学生对材料的保留。