Accelerating the growth of 3D printing in education is at the heart of what we do, which is why we have a range of features designed specifically for educators
Pick and choose from our growing library of 3D printing resources to spark curiosity, develop in-demand technical skills and foster 21st century skills such as empathy, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. Our mission is to provide educators with all the resources they need to guide students in using this transformative technology to make assistive technology, homeware, architectural models, sculptures and much more.
Frequently asked questions about PrintLab
Is there training for teachers?
Toggle
PrintLab resources aren't just for students, they are a great way for educators to learn new skills. And by delivering PrintLab projects in the classroom and submitting example student portfolios, you can become a PrintLab Certified Educator through our certification programme.
What age group and subjects is PrintLab for?
Toggle
PrintLab resources are suitable for users of ages 10+. In the teacher instructions (where relevant), we suggest various ways in which you can adapt projects and challenges for both younger/beginner students and older/advanced students.
Many of our users teach Design, Technology or Engineering classes but several projects have cross-curricular links to other subjects, such as Science, History and Geography. We have seen great success with our site license users, where Design teachers provide support and guidance for teachers in other subjects.
What order do I teach the resources in?
Toggle
PrintLab was built as a flexible library of resources that you can pick and choose from depending on your curriculum requirements, student skill level and personal preference. We do however have a pathway of resources that we recommend for those who are new to 3D design and 3D printing. We call this the 'Fundamentals Pathway' and information on delivering this pathway is provided in the user guide, which can be accessed upon signing up to PrintLab.
Do students create accounts on PrintLab?
Toggle
After many discussions with teachers, we opted to keep PrintLab as a quick-access training toolkit with no student accounts/logins. They simply click the share link provided to them to access the chosen resource learning platform. There are 2 main reasons for this:
Firstly, the 3D design software packages we use in our curriculum (Tinkercad and Fusion 360) have a range of classroom management tools available, where you can monitor student work. We designed our platform to work cohesively with these rather than to replicate their features or have additional login processes.
Secondly, when documenting their design process in a portfolio format, we didn’t want to limit what applications are used. Some schools might use the Google suite, others might use Canva or Adobe software. So again, we want to keep our focus on creating training material and tools, which work cohesively with applications that are actually dedicated to classroom management and that teachers are already familiar with.
How many students can use PrintLab?
Toggle
With our standard teacher license, you can generate a share link for up to 3 resources at once. This means you can teach multiple classes and they can even access PrintLab at home. You can unshare resources at any time and select a different resource to share. A share link allows up to 35 students on the learning platform at any one time.
With our site license, your school can have UNLIMITED teacher accounts and each teacher can generate UNLIMITED share links. *Please note that all teachers must be part of the same individual school and all licenses expire exactly 1 year after the first license is activated. For multiple schools or district pricing, please email hello@weareprintlab.com.
Can I try PrintLab?
Toggle
Of course! We offer educators a full 7 day free trial. Click the link below to get started.
Join us in using 3D design and 3D printing to make unique products that bring value to the world