POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS OF THE 3D PRINTER FOR A GENERAL TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION - POTENTIALS AND LIMITS

A comprehensive technological general education is a basis for a reflected participation in social life. Especially against the background of ever new technological innovations, technical education seems to be of ever-increasing importance. In addition, there is a growing demand for qualified specialists in the various technical fields, particularly in the industrial nations. For example, CEDEFOP (European Centre for the development of Vocational Training) describes the situation as follows: "Too few young people are enrolling to study STEM subjects at higher education: entry requirements and dropout rates are both high and participation by women is low" [1]. Apart from the lack of attractiveness of many professions in the technical field, "skill shortages also arise from the rapid development of ICT, stimulating new skill needs while making others obsolete" [1]. Both the attractiveness and the understanding of technology and its social implications can be increased by a basic technical general education. There are undoubtedly different views on the question of what technical education should look like, what contents it should deal with, what goals it should pursue with and which media should be used to accomplish said goals. Rapid prototyping is a manufacturing process in the industry where 3D models are converted into products without manual detours. After more than 30 years of industrial use, this process has also become applicable for schools with the 3D printer. Students can design all phases of model creation and transformation themselves and follow the individual work steps. The present practical contribution will therefore show how the 3D printer can be used effectively in school lessons in different class levels. The aim is to show which skills can be acquired in dealing with the printer and how it can be used. Special emphasis will be placed on technical education, but it will also be shown how the printer can be used in different subjects. In addition, pedagogical limits and technical factors to be considered when using such a printer at school will be shown. This is achieved by presenting and discussing a tried and tested teaching concept for a Situated Blended Learning Scenario.