How we teach STEM courses could be undergoing a revolution.

Rosie Dutt, instructional consultant and former adjunct lecturer at the Engineering Communication Center at the Washington University in St. Louis, gets hands-on with learning.

Dr. Rosie Dutt teaches interdisciplinary computational neuroscience and engineering communication courses that integrate data science and design thinking. In this talk, she discusses her work on how 3D printing can enhance engagement, accessibility, and spatial reasoning in STEM education. She also draws on her background in communications and entrepreneurship to support student success and career development.

Traditional lecture-based methods often leave students detached from the hands-on experiences that define scientific discovery. When teaching engineering communication courses, I decided to explore how 3D printing can transform STEM education by providing students with opportunities to design, manipulate, and test physical models, bridging the gap between abstract theory and tangible understanding.

Incorporating 3D printing into undergraduate courses allows students to create custom models of molecular structures, brain regions, or cellular components. This tactile engagement strengthens spatial reasoning—an essential yet often overlooked skill in engineering-adjacent fields such as engineering communications, as well as in general science courses like biology and neuroscience. Students who physically construct and analyze 3D models demonstrate improved conceptual understanding and problem-solving ability compared to those who only view two-dimensional images.

Low-cost and open-source 3D printing tools make this approach highly accessible. Using freely available design software and inexpensive materials, students can bring complex scientific ideas to life while developing confidence in their technical skills. Moreover, this technology enhances inclusion: learners with visual or spatial processing differences benefit from interacting with models that can be touched, rotated, and explored.

Survey results from my work show that more than 75 percent of students found 3D printing made learning more engaging and accessible. They reported greater collaboration and critical thinking during projects, as well as a stronger connection between coursework and real-world applications.

By integrating 3D printing into STEM education, we can reimagine classrooms as spaces of creativity and discovery, where abstract concepts take shape in students’ hands, and learning becomes both inclusive and deeply experiential.

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