Incorporating 3D Printing in the Biology

Classroom
Seongkeun Ahn, Student, Graduate School of Library and Information
Studies, Queens College
Galina Letnikova, Assistant Professor, Library Media Resources
Center, LaGuardia Community College
Na Xu, Assistant Professor, Natural Sciences Department, LaGuardia
Community College

Future of 3D Printing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83ytVGxcWl8

Future of 3D Printing

Traditional 3D Printing
Educational Areas and Benefits

Engineering
Manufacturing
Industrial Design
Architecture
Art

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/19/reshaping-universities-through-3d-printing/

Stimulates student creativity and innovation

Helps visualize difficult concepts
Deepens the conceptual understanding of mechanisms and
processes
May be used for small team and/or individual research
projects

http://acrlog.org/2012/10/16/making-things-in-academic-libraries/

Makerspaces Move into Academic Libraries

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/08/academic-libraries/u-nevada-library-offers-3d-printing-across-theboard/#_

Library 3-D Printing Collaboration with

Academic Departments LAGCC Library Vision
Students brings an assignment or an
idea, we follow it through together
Students seeks knowledge and
expertise; Librarys Markerspace
helps to create knowledge and
develop expertise
Library provided access to resources
otherwise hard to locate
Special thanks to Terry Parker,
Coordinator of Media Services at
LAGCC for providing staff and space
to support this collaboration
3D Printer at LaGuardia
Community College Library
Media Resources Center
.

LaGuardia Library Guide

3D Printer in LAGCC Library Media Resources

Center
Hardware and Software
Appropriate for level
Space
Dedicated
Open
Welcoming

Managing 3D Printing Services in Academic Libraries

Policies
Keep it simple
Provide guidelines

Help
Available
Knowledgeable
Group Training
Individual

LAGCC Library 3D Printing Cooperation with Teaching

Fall 2014 Department of Mathematics, Faculty

Engineering & CS
Profs. Hendrick Delcham & Paul West
Courses in MEC/Industrial Design with
Applications for 3D printing
Engineering First Year Seminar (FYS)
MAE 100 Intro to AutoCad
MAE 101 Engineering Lab 1 (2014-pilot)
HUA 109 SolidWorks/3D modeling
MAE 107 Manufacturing Processes
MAE 211 Engineering Mechanics
CPP 024 Engineering Co-op
LaGuardia Community College Natural
Science Department
Course: Principles of Biology (SCB115)
Professor Dr. Na Xu
Project: Assessment of Students Learning
by using 3D printed Biological Models

3-D Printed Truss from class assignment

LAGCC Department of Mathematics, Engineering & CS

LAGCC Library 3D Printing Cooperation with Teaching

Faculty
LaGuardia Community College Natural
Science Department
Course: Principles of Biology (SCB115)
Professor Dr. Na Xu
Project: Assessment of Students Learning by
using 3D printed Biological Models

Current material to study biology

Textbook
In class PowerPoint Presentation
Practice questions
Complementary lab experience

2D images and cartoons available for

biology study

DNA

Using 3D to illustrate biological structures

2D

vs

3D

3D protein structures
Primary structure
Secondary structure
Tertiary structure

2D

vs

3D

Interactions between molecules

Protein and mRNA interaction

Protein and DNA interaction

Including the 3D printing assignment in entry

level biology classes
Fall II, 2014
Including the 3D printing
project in Principle of Biology I
Classes (entry level biology
class).
Spring I, 2015

One class per semester.

The project is IRB approved.

Fall I, 2015

The evolution of assignment

Fall II, 2014 :

Students explore NIH 3D resources website
Download interested model
Book printing time and print their models individually
Write about the biological background of the molecule and reflect

Spring I, 2015
Additional Modifications:
Students are organized into groups
Surveys are conducted

Fall I, 2015
Additional Modifications:
Library staff gave an introduction lecture about 3D printing at the
beginning
Optimize the appointment making procedure with the library staff
Students were asked to share this experience on their social media

The current assignment

Lecture: Introduction to 3D printing

-Students learn about the NIH 3D resources and

download their interested profile

Students book printing time and print their models

Students were asked to write about the biological
background of the molecule, reflect and share
the experience on their social media.

Surveys are conducted

Student survey results

3.0
2.8

2.7

2.5

2.7

2.6

Average score

2.5
2.0

2.5

2.4
2.3

2.3

2.7

2.6

2.3

2.3
2.2

2.1

2.0

2.0

1.5
1.5
1.0

0.5

0.0

Assignment is Easy to choose Easy to make Received help Library staff is Learned new
easy to
a 3D model
an
in choosing a
helpful
skills
understand
appointment 3D model

Understand Become more Becomore

molecule's interested in
more
sturcutre
the subject confident in
better
Biotechnology

Spring I 2015
Fall I, 2015

Strongly Disagree (0)----Disagree (1pt)-----Agree (2 pts) ------Strongly Agree (3 pts)

Student survey results

Fall I 2015

Spring I 2015
I would like to have a similar
project in another class

I would like to have a similar

project in another class
No
0%

No
42%

Yes
58%

Yes
No

Yes

Yes
100%

No

Printing the 3D biological model

The 3D printing helped us have a better
understanding of the molecule and its
biological structure. -----Jane

With the 3D printer we can see small

sections and color it in as well to better
understand what we are looking at with
the hands on feel to it, something a
textbook cant give us. ------------Maria
The 3D printing experience was
something new that is very helpful and
easy to remember and surprisingly fun. ------ Heba

Students social media experience

By being a student here at LaGuardia
Community College, this 3D printing
experience is one of the best memories
that I have so far. ---------- Alana
I posted this picture on Facebook
November 12 at 8:46pm. The post got 11
likes and a comment saying Lucky! I dont
have that at my school Which makes me
feel really lucky to have technology as the
3D printer at my school available to the
students of LaGuardia Community
College.------- Maria

Acknowledgement
Library staff at LaGuardia
Community College:
Assistant Professor, Galina Letnikova
College Lab Technician, Felix Peralta
Library Intern, Seongkeun Ahn

NIH 3D Printing Exchange

Seongkeun Ahn, QC
Student
Galina Letnikova, LAGCC
Assistant Professor
Na Xu, LAGCC
Assistant Professor

LaGuardia Community College-CUNY

Long Island City, New York

www.kickstarter.com