Transitioning to the New PrintLab
Hello everyone! As many of you know, we recently launched a brand new 3D printing learning platform to replace our old platform. To aid in the transition, we kept the old platform running but the time has come to close it down and enter the next chapter of PrintLab.
5th December 2023 • News
As of today, https://classroom.weareprintlab.com/ will cease to exist. If you are an existing subscriber, you will have received instructions on getting set up on the new platform. And if you are not yet a subscriber, feel free to check out a free trial of the new platform here. We’d also like to take a moment to recap on 5 key differences and improvements we have made!
Updated Projects
Our approach wasn’t just to move our current projects to a new platform. Each one has been updated with new and improved content. This includes new introduction videos, options for voice over or text based Tinkercad/Fusion 360 video tutorials, and upgraded workflows, graphics and animations.
Template Portfolios
Here at PrintLab, we are big advocates of documenting the entire design process and not just focusing on the outcome. Each project now comes with a template Google Slides portfolio that can be filled in as you go!
The Design Method Toolkit
The Design Method Toolkit is one of the biggest updates to PrintLab and is designed to be used whilst working on projects or challenges. It provides you with a range of step-by-step problem-solving and design activities that can be used at each stage of the design process – whether it’s to research topics, generate ideas, design prototypes, evaluate solutions or present work.
Although PrintLab projects guide you in using a pre-defined set of design methods, you can adapt projects by selecting your own methods and design process. The toolkit can also be used to tackle PrintLab’s Make:able Challenge or challenges in your own day-to-day life.
Teacher Instructions Tab
The last 2 features are specifically for educators who have access to a teacher license. Rather than having a teacher portal and a student portal like we did previously, both portals are merged into a single streamlined website. The learning platform for each project comes with a teacher instructions popup on each section, outlining an example lesson plan that can be followed, as well as curriculum alignment documents and an assessment rubric that can be used to review student portfolios.
Share Links
Teachers will now share resources with students in a much simpler way. Simply find a resource in the library, generate a share link and send it directly to students to give them instant access to the learning platform (no logins required). When using share links with students, they will only see the project that you shared and they won’t see the teacher instructions either.
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We hope you are as excited as us about the new platform and direction for PrintLab. We have more amazing things lined up for the New Year so stay tuned!