Connect STEM in school to Industry - Use 3D printing as a tool

As part of my endeavour to connect STEM in school to Industry, I was invited by Avikshit Saras to be part of his WhatsApp workshop group on 3D printing. Avikshit has been involved in 3D printing for the last 4 years. He engages with schools & colleges for installation of 3D printing labs & 3D training. He has trained students & teachers at Indian School Muscat, DPS Faridabad, Pathways Gurgaon, Shalom High and numerous other individuals.

The learning was awesome and the application to daily life was phenomenal. For ex: In the agricultural industry, if the farmer who has broken a coupling of his pump or a sprinkler system, simply wants a nut for his tractor, he has to travel to the nearest market in his tehsil or district to procure it. But with a 3D printer, he can 3D print it and move ahead. Similarly, with the fashion Industry, design your clothes and print it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s94mIhCyt4

Technology is moving so fast, schools need to be at pace so that learning is relevant to the students. To show the relevance of 3D printing to the schools and have it as a part of the school curriculum, I asked Avikshit few questions. Please find his responses for the same. 

1. What is 3D printing?

 So, the book definition describes 3D printing, ‘‘as a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical part or assembly using three-dimensional CAD data.” Meaning to say, that as aforementioned our goal is to create physical parts, models & objects. So, to do that we design the same in a 3D CAD software, thereafter give a command to the 3D printer to print or prototype the same. Essentially, we require a software & hardware to reach our goal. The word ‘quick’ in the definition is important too, as a long-drawn process would not add much value in terms of time & money savings. The terminology ‘a group of techniques’ is more to do with design as the starting point. This may involve designing by say drawing, sketching, placing physical objects in a particular manner, visualizing etc prior to actually starting the CAD design work.  

2. How does teaching 3 D printing help connect STEM in school to Industry?

 The connect is very practical, creative, intuitive, communicative & critical as well. All these have a long term bearing on the intellect of a student. But we say, 3D printing can help students choose careers (say engineering, product designing, architecture) based on their interest & passion and not merely marks. But a student getting 90% is suggested by its school to take up science irrespective of where her interest lies. In addition, due to the experiential learning, students are able to get hands on, with what they would be doing in the industry. So, STEM or STEAM in its true form is supposed to be practical & relevant. Our industry for that matter is all about implementing things that are workable, doable, practical etc. There is little relevance of theory in the industry. Question no. 2 & 5 are interlinked and the answers may overlap.

3. Which STEM topics in school lend itself to the learning of 3D printing?

 Curriculum integration i.e. aligning 3D printing to the curriculum is quite dear to us and we do this for schools. 3D Printing as the technology stands is akin to the photocopying services or photocopy machines of the 1980s – 1990s. Therein each organization for their printing requirements had to outsource their jobs or later installed photocopiers in house. But there was no single discipline where the printing was not applicable. It was cross disciplinary and same is the case of 3D printing. Its applicable across subjects and we position it as an alternative learning medium for students. Students learning is more practical when say they can design a cuboid pencil box, 3D prints it and thereafter do the volumetric & surface area calculations. This is in contrast to just being given mensuration formulas to rote learn and pass a closed book exam. Are we testing knowledge or memory?  

4. How can teachers prepare themselves to bring in relevant updates to curriculum periodically?

We say that teachers know their job very well. We are merely adding value to their efforts by way of training them in 3D printing. As aforementioned an alternative learning for students becomes a teaching tool for teachers. At times a student is unable to visualize the 3^rd dimension but while we were taught 20 years ago mensuration in the same manner. Draw a rectangle, then dotted lines on the top, imagine the 3^rd dimension and now it becomes a cuboid. This may have been the case due to technological limitations, but now we have the technology to create a cuboid in class so why shouldn’t we use it? Also, there are students having different learning abilities, as some are kinaesthetic, sensory, auditory or visual. But why do we then treat them all the same? Just as text books went from having black & white pages to colour, to more graphics, to audio & video options, to simply make learning easier & fun for students. But now the technology has evolved that the pictures in the book can be brought to real life, given to students to hold so they can check them out more minutely, in detail, feel it so as to again make their learning easier & fun. In our endeavours we do emphasize on teacher training so that the knowledge remains in the school, otherwise vendors & students come & go, so does the knowledge.  

5. How relevant is it to connect STEM in school to Industry? How do you plan to bridge the gap?

 Teach 3D Printing in schools is the answer and not just us but the government also thinks similarly otherwise they wouldn’t have launched ATL where 3D printing is one of the key topics. School learning has to become more practical & relevant to the current times. Students need to be updated with a host of 21^st century wisdom and not just trigonometry, calculus, Pythagoras theorem etc. As aforementioned students with the help of 3D printing can choose their careers based on their interest / passion, and not merely marks. People have started offering internships at the school level to students so actually they can have a feel of it is in say an architect’s office, a product designer’s job or in an engineering-based firm or industry. This is way above than what KidZania offers at their end. The bridge or transition is far easier or smoother for students who undertake such internships.

Avikshit is based in Delhi and I am in Mumbai but still technology brought like minded people together. Thus how about embracing technology positively  and using it to advance your knowledge. 

How about creating a STEM chapter in school on 3D printing wherein students are taught how to?

1. Design a 3D printer

2. Work with a 3D printer

3. Apply their STEAM concepts to 3D printer to create new discoveries and inventions. 

The canvas is wide open, all it needs are passionate teachers to explore and fill it with diverse colours and images. The video link shows how teachers are using it to promote STEM learning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3sMFEybms

Note: Avikshit can be reached on  (+91 98101 63654). He runs regular courses on 3D printing. 

I Print My Things - 3D Prototyping

A division of Orient Leisure (P) Limited

Do you care to know - Final

The Company CEO, Raj was a transhumanist, one who supports human enhancements. He believed that new technologies would allow people to control and fundamentally change their minds and bodies. The future generation should have the power to decide how they wish to look and feel. His company had received the secret proposal to test the gene therapy on animals and then on willing subjects so that it could be launched globally in next few years. But Raj was in hurry to succeed. His patience was wearing thin and he decided to go straight for human testing. He needed young people around so that they could be studied day in and day out. Thus, his think tank team had thought of hiring only young blood, offer hefty packets so that they would happily work and also willing to stay back if needed. The game plan was set and all this would have to be carried out in complete secrecy. 

The Manager was a complete asset, he knew exactly which day which employee needed to be held back for testing and monitoring and the staff believed in his incompetence completely. The only hitch that arose was Aarti. 'She had started thinking and who asked her to do it,' mentioned Raj to the Manager. 'She needs to go before she gets others thinking. Her matter was more sensitive, she was to create a designer baby'. The Manager set the ball rolling and her death was accepted as an accident. 

Today was Mona's turn to report. She was showing good progress. Her memory, IQ and reasoning skills had improved beyond measure. He personally felt like interacting with her to study her deeply. 

Mona entered her office but with nervous trepidation. 'What am I to expect today? thought she. She went to her desk and began with her daily logs. She was getting very quick with her work and abstract logs seemed more basic now. Around 8 pm, she smelled coffee. 'Should I, or shouldn’t I? the dilemma plagued her. Eventually she gave in to the temptation. At the other end, she saw Amit drinking coffee. He looked at her smiled. He was looking stronger every day. 

At around 8:30 pm, she felt a numbness and a feeling of being carried towards a bed. She felt needles pricking her, heard lots of murmurs and discussion around her various reports. The CEO wanted them to be injected with larger doses and the scientists had their reservations. The discussions had turned into arguments. These people had maintained a huge file on her and every employee in the company, the scoundrels had privy to their most personal secrets.

Even though she was physically inactive, she had never felt so alive mentally.  She could sense Amit's heartbeat, the CEO's frustration and the Manager's sickening 'yes man' attitude. Within a few minutes, everything that had been engineered the past few months with them was as clear as crystal. 

At 9:30 pm she was adjusted back on her chair and she saw Amit adjusted on his chair too. They had been giving him gene injections for doubling muscle strength and speed. After 15 minutes, Mona moved towards Amit and woke him up.The look in his eyes confirmed the shared knowledge. Together, they had a chance, alone they would be guinea pigs or another Aarti. 

At that very moment, the Manager walked in. Seeing Amit and Mona together, he felt a prickling disturbance. As he moved towards them, Amit took the paperweight and quickly banged it hard on the Manager's head and saw him losing consciousness. 

Very quietly, they moved towards the CEO's office. On the way, they picked up a huge knife from the pantry and checked for camera and other sightings. Raj was on cloud nine, both subjects had shown good progress. In another 6 months, he would be able to make the global announcement. Success was his and he could vision the trophy coming towards him. As he closed his eyes to drown in that glory, he felt a knife stabbing his heart. The scream died in his mouth as he felt a hand closing his mouth. He opened his eyes to see both Mona and Amit, one stabbing him and one holding him tightly. The cruel glee in their eyes and the pleasure of seeing him suffer shook him. He had not expected the injections to make them resilient and so cold hearted. 

Do you care to know? - first part

She was late leaving her workplace once again. How many times she had informed her manager that on the way back, crowds were thin and safety was a concern but the manager cared only about the facts and figures and monthly reports to be shown to the top bosses. She made the routine customary calls to her parents informing them of the delay. Aarti muttered some inexplicable expletives and moved on towards completion of the tasks ahead of her. She looked around and saw there were two more employees along with her. She waved at Amit and Raj and glimpsed back at her computer. 

Around 8:00 pm she felt a presence around her and saw the office boy with a cup of coffee in his hand. Happy to take a coffee break, she took the cup and glanced around. She saw Amit and Raj sipping their coffees with glee. She moved towards them and they struck a conversation where bitching about the organization seemed their strong focus. 

Five minutes later, she moved back to her desk and tried to complete the rest of the work but started feeling numb. Slowly the images blurred and she lost consciousness. She woke up around 10 pm with the incessant phone ringing and saw that she was all alone in the office. Her parents were concerned and were coming to pick her up. Slowly and steadily she walked down to the gate, saw her concerned parents and moved inside the car. On the way, she felt uneasy, her body was aching. Normally, she didn't feel so low. Something, somewhere was wrong. 

She watched her parents in front and contemplated whether to share her anxieties or not. She did not want to stress them out and at the same time needed a listening shoulder. 'They look so tired, forget it, maybe I am thinking too much' felt Aarti and let the matter go. 

Next day she was back to work and things seemed normal. Amit and Raj teased her off falling to sleep while working and the Manager gruntled about the unfinished task. Aarti went about the usual and was about to leave for home with her friend, Mona when unexpectedly Mona was called upon to complete extra work lined up for her. 

She rushed out soon as she did not want to be beckoned for extra work. ‘Every day someone was being made to wait back, prepare last minute reports and that was not fair. The Manager was not organized’ felt Aarti. The next day, she arrived and heard Amit and Raj teasing Mona on falling off to sleep while at work. Aarti felt something was amiss, everyone cannot be sleeping. She knew she had to act but whom to trust and how to go about it. 

At lunch, she struck a conversation with her female colleagues and asked if they all completed their given tasks. All were sceptical with their responses, some shared openly and some were reluctant. Each one cautious of treading the unknown ground, no one really wanted to delve deeper. The only common ground they arrived was to not stay back alone but always with other female company.  Aarti went to the manager with the request and he smiled at her and said, 'Great, now two employees working extra time than one. We are blessed'. Aarti felt like wiping the smile off but resisted, all of them needed the job and the company paid them better than other competitors. The perks were great too. 

That evening, Mona and she were to stay back. This time they refrained having the coffee and also saw that there was no Amit or Raj around. Nevertheless, around 8 pm they both started feeling drowsy and succumbed to the feeling. At around 9:30 pm they regained consciousness and took their bags and called for a rental car service. Apart from the watchman there was no one around. Once again Aarti felt that her body felt uneasy. She discussed this with Mona who felt there was nothing amiss. She felt Aarti was just blowing things out of proportion. They had been working for non-stop 12 hours and therefore they slept. 

Aarti dropped Mona off first and the car was moving towards her home. In another 10 minutes, she would be home and she planned to make few personal bodily investigations first. That very moment, she saw a huge truck crashing into her car and felt deep searing pain move through her body. She had to move out but in the next few seconds, fire engulfed the entire car. 

'I am going to die and I don't even know why? These were the last thoughts Aarti had before there was nothing left of her. 

The next day, the newspapers wrote of the ghastly accident, Aarti was a statistical figure in the number of road accidents per year. Her parents were grieving uncontrollably, they had lost their beautiful, young and educated girl. The manager represented the company at the funeral and spoke highly of her past two years contribution towards the institution and offered good compensation package. At one corner, Mona stood watching all this, lowered her eyes and grieved silently for her friend. This evening, she had been summoned for extra work. 

TRUST LIFE, TRUST LOVE

'Today is Sunday, wow the last day to enjoy my weekend' felt Bill. He felt like cramming the day with meeting friends, watching a film and just idling away. He deserved it after all he worked extremely hard around the week days and early weekends. He was the first to arrive at work and the last to leave. He was everybody's 'I can count on you' friend. Everyone, from the senior to the juniors depended on him and this made him feel significant.

The friends had decided to catch the latest 'Avengers' movie and he was excited. He loved the action and looked forward to having fun. He took the keys of his bike and rushed through the door. While riding the bike on the highway, his mind, highly active, started planning for the day ahead and in the excitement, ignored the truck's honking. The rash truck driver, infuriated with the biker's casual attitude decided to overtake. At the same time, Bill moved to the right and the truck bounced him off his bike and he landed on the ground many feet away, with a thud. The next few moments, the world stood still for all on the highway. Passer-by’s stopped, cars halted, calls were made for the ambulance and the truck driver, seeing the commotion ran from the scene.

Bill was rushed to the hospital where he was operated upon with urgency. The damage had been extensive and his survival was uncertain. His parents, relatives, friends all gathered at the hospital praying for him. The doctors worked a miracle, Bill survived but the recuperation was painful. His legs were weak and walking again was a dream. The plethora of visitors thinned over time, people who had time for him earlier were suddenly busy. His office, sympathetic earlier, now had found someone else in his place happy to be the next 'Yes' boy. He was no longer needed. 

Suddenly he felt that his world had shrunk. 'Do I really mean nothing anymore?' felt Bill. 'Am I really that useless?' 'Where are my friends?' These questions kept haunting him. The anxieties, setbacks made him miserable and he went into depression.

One fine day, his parents finally managed to coax him to attend a close relative's wedding with them. Reluctantly, he went expecting nothing. As he entered, he saw smiling faces, lively environment and people wishing the bride and groom happiness. He felt a little awkward and moved to a corner. Very soon, there was dancing and his eye caught an old school acquaintance, Maya dancing away. Their eyes caught and she smiled. She walked towards him and tried to strike a conversation with Bill but apart from few monosyllables there was nothing forthcoming.

She found him a little intriguing and called him the next day. Once again, the conversation was one sided. She was persistent and did not let this disturb her. He had caught her fancy and she was keen to know him better. With the support of his parents, she slowly started visiting his home carrying beautiful books, board games, chocolates or flowers. They started playing chess, discussing philosophy, current issues and she enjoyed picking his brilliant brains from time to time. Over time, Bill thawed to her and they became good friends . They started moving out, he in his wheelchair and she, walking, beside him. People walked up to them and began conversing with them. Slowly his confidence returned and his network increased. Opportunities to do varied work started pouring in. The phone started ringing with work once again. Bill took up the tasks with pleasure after all since he always enjoyed working.

Every morning, he woke up to a purpose, the purpose being to make Maya and his parents feel proud of him. The day Maya was not around, he missed her miserably. 

One day he gathered courage to ask Maya to be his life partner, very nervously he approached her. He knew as wonderful as she was, she had her pick of choices but for him she was his elixir of life. He looked at her with eyes full of love and deep longing and stretched his hand toward her and told her, "Till now, I never realized the true meaning of life, my work was my identity but today I know that the serene emotions I feel around you, your acceptance of me as I am, the desire to always hold you close to me and see you happy and smiling everlastingly is truly what I wish to identify my life with. Will you walk along the path of life with me eternally”? Maya was speechless with Bill's words and the tears in her eyes confirmed their union. 

In the past 10 months, life had truly matured Bill. He could tell real from fake, empty promises from genuine givers and most important true friends from fake ones. He valued his family more now than ever. He counted his blessings over and over again on having met Maya. Sometimes, one needs to fall for one to recognize the world around them. He found his path and his true soulmate and he was never going to sacrifice that.