3D Printing: The New Frontrunner in EdTech Date:   Tuesday , September 27, 2016 Headquartered in New Delhi, 3Dexter is a nextgen education technology company that enables educational institutions to develop 3D Modelling and Printing as a skill among students of today through curriculum-based set-ups. \"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic\" - Arthur C. Clarke. Every once in a while, there comes a disruptive technology which threatens to erode existing structures based on primitive approaches. It changes the way we do things, gives birth to values that were previously non-existent and creates additional market opportunities. Here comes the good news - Inventions affect everyone; and in the long run, equally so. In fact, creation of new markets further brings in additional job opportunities. Which business doesn\'t employ computers today? 3D Printing, often termed as \'Additive Manufacturing\' is one disruption that carries the potential to shake up the very way manufacturing of physical objects is done. A 3D Printer is a true \'Mini Factory\' in itself: 3-Dimensional, physical objects are \'printed out\' by the addition of layers on top of one another; a simple yet creative process. This decade has seen 3D Printing expand its scope to a multitude of domains all over the globe; ranging from the use of 3D Printers by surgeons in super-specialities to metallic rapid prototyping in aeronautics and automation, their use by fashion designers to print out fibres as well as its capabilities to \'print\' chocolate in bakeries. Prototyping won\'t cost lakhs of Rupees or take months to complete; Product Designers are thrilled! The global 3D Printing market is expected to balloon to a whopping $30 Billion by 2022. 3D Printing in Education One might wonder if this technology has the potential to change the way we teach in classrooms. Absolutely! Education is in fact, leading the revolution. U.S. President Barack Obama endorsed the idea of installing 3D Printers in schools in his 2013 State of the Union address. The technology is the new frontrunner in Ed-Tech and has in the recent past demonstrated its huge significance in enhancing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education scenario, especially in countries like U.S., China and the leading European nations. The phenomenon is parallel to the addition of computers in schools that initiated a digital culture led by technologically-adept kids of the 90s. What is the worthy approach to bring in 3DP to educational institutions? What values should such institutions strive to impart to learners using such a technology? Two Pronged Approach First, use Additive Manufacturing to bring experiential learning to the grassroots; help primary and secondary school students understand their school subjects better. Schools ought to invest time, money and effort to set up Design Technology Laboratories with 3D Printers at the heart of it all. A class 10th Bio school teacher will find a 3D Printed physical model of a heart handy while explaining its parts and functionalities to her students. Imagine a scenario where students have a scheduled Design Thinking class within their school time table; they are not constrained to sit and listen to the teacher as is traditionally done: they are free to roam around and do some tinkering here and there, maybe sketch draft designs on 3D Pens. A 3D Printing ecosystem works on the approach of learning by experiencing. Letting students have their controlled freedom can assist educators nurture creativity, problem solving and foster innovation at the grassroot level. Second, offer advanced skill training courses in Advanced Manufacturing technologies in integration with existing Product Design and Prototyping courses, to begin with. Even Architecture students in the West have discovered great utility of Additive Manufacturing methods to undertake complex projects. In India, only a few institutes like IIT-Bombay have a dedicated Industrial Design Centre (IDC) to assist learners to undertake valuable hardware research projects. The Indian Muddle: What Needs to be Done Foremost, forget Advanced Technologies like 3D Printing. Where is our everyday scientific temper headed? There simply aren\'t enough quality science communities around us. Awareness about global technological advancements doesn\'t reach young minds. Whose responsibility is it to develop such platforms where technical information can be exchanged firsthand? Is Internet as a channel of exchange alone enough? For educators to invest effort and money in such experiential learning initiatives as 3D Printing in education is, we as a society in its whole should respect the values such projects create. Shortage of skilled labour deserves a highlight as well. Industries in India are interested, yet hesitant to adopt 3D Printing in Rapid Prototyping, primarily due to unavailability of labour skilled in Additive Manufacturing. The Central Government\'s initiatives like Skill India and installation of 3D Printers in Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in 500 schools under the banner of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) stand out. What is further needed is a better coordination of the public sector with the efforts of private players like 3Dexter; leaders that have been raising awareness and assisting educational institutions in establishing a rigorous curriculum in 3D Printing. EdTech businesses on their part ought to lay foundations of such Design Communities where a diverse set of groups share ideas and more importantly, respect the \'maker\' inside others. A student of class 7th studying in a Foundations course in 3D Printing should be well connected to an Automotive Product Designer. Inspiration comes two ways. 3D Printing in Education is a disruption. Technology helps translate ideas into physical reality quicker; hence promises to deliver innovation through a young mind. EdTech Business Models need to be as efficient in pushing for new benchmarks in technology assisted learning in schools and higher education institutions. This time, let\'s start with India first.