Week 4. Module 1 Field Activity: Digital Fabrication for Students

Assignments

• FIELD ACTIVITY: design/fabrication process
• Reflection

FIELD ACTIVITY: design/fabrication process

My field design activity consisted on designing and fabricating physical aids to help studens understand how to draw the ortohographip projections of an object by using a “glass box”.

This is the link to the lesson in SCOPES-DF: Lesson in SCOPES-DF

Design

3D pieces: I started by modelling 5 pieces in Fusion with different features (steps, sloped planes).

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Projection planes: I drew three orthogonal planes (front, top, side) and a support platform in LibreCAD. Each plane includes a grid to aid with accurate drawing.

Fabrication

3D Printing: I prepared the modelled parts in a slicer and printed them in PLA.

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Laser Cutting: I cut the three planes and the support piece from 3 mm clear acrylic.

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Assembly: I joined the planes with self-adhesive clear acrylic hinges, allowing the box to open flat so students can visualise the “unfolding” into 2D.

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Once completed I placed a 3D piece inside the box and I traced the projections on the front, top, and right-side planes. I unfolded the hinged box to lay the three views on a single plane.

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Learning materials

Worksheets: I created gridded worksheets aligned with the box geometry to guide students in transferring and dimensioning views.

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Reflection

1. How do you think digital fabrication improves the activity vs utilizing traditional methods? What is the extra value?

This topic is usually taught using direct instruction supported with some demonstrations, presentations, and worksheets. I’ve found that many students struggle to grasp how an object can be defined by its orthographic projections. Interacting with tangible pieces and the “glass box” in the early stages helps students develop their spatial perception, find the faces and edges, and visualize how to project onto the planes of the box and unfold it. Additionally, they are actually measuring the pieces and drawing them, which helps with concepts such as scale and proportion. I feel that making the lesson a more interactive, hands-on experience helps engage students and makes it less abstract.

2. What are some  challenges you expect when you do the activity with your class?

It requires initial time to fabricate enough pieces and planes for each group, but on the positive side, they can be used many times. It may also require simpler pieces and more complex ones to build differentiation into the lesson.

3. What have you learned in the process of building the manipulative?

Access to digital fabrication tools is a great opportunity to make your own tailored teaching resources, make lessons more engaging, making you reflect the way learners interact with tools. I think it can even have the potential to change the way you plan and deliver your lessons.

Tools

• Software used: Fusion, LibreCAD, Lightburn