Inclusion and Education: 3D Printing for Integrated Classrooms
Erin Buehler, William Easley, Samantha McDonald, Niara Comrie, Amy Hurst · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility · doi:10.1145/2700648.2809844
Summary
This research addresses the severe employment gap facing adults with intellectual disabilities (ID)—over 60% unemployment versus roughly 25% for the general population—by exploring whether 3D printing skills can be taught in integrated postsecondary settings. The study is motivated by the scarcity of educational opportunities: only 240 postsecondary programs for people with ID existed in the US and Canada at the time, compared to over 3,000 institutions serving the general population. The research proceeded in three phases. First, interviews with seven mainstream 3D printing educators revealed common challenges: limited printer access (one printer shared by 4-25 students), the importance of early success experiences, and the value of balancing structured tutorials with open-ended creative projects. Second, an 11-week one-on-one case study with a student with ID and short-term memory loss identified effective teaching strategies: journaling, teaching for recognition rather than recall using visual slide shows, video instructions for multi-step tasks, and proactive planning for technical failures. Third, these insights informed a semester-long integrated course pairing six undergraduate students with six young adults with intellectual disabilities in two-person teams. The course met three times weekly for 50-minute sessions plus a 2-hour lab, using Tinkercad for modeling and Printrbot Simple Metal printers. Assignments progressed from autobiographical sketches through Thingiverse exploration, original 3D modeling, invoice creation, and culminated in students designing their own product lines. The class also fulfilled a real client request—printing 100 Braille rings for the department within a one-week deadline.
Key findings
The integrated classroom model proved successful, with all students able to create and design objects and most completing the design-to-print process independently by semester's end. However, the research uncovered specific dynamics requiring instructor attention. "Turn-taking" emerged as a critical issue: undergraduate students initially dominated computer control while ID students watched passively. The researchers attributed this to misconceptions about ID student abilities and UG students' desire to complete tasks efficiently. Instructors addressed this through gentle interventions ("How about letting [ID2] do that? She has used Google Drive before") and by requiring individual submissions even for team assignments. By mid-semester, equitable participation was achieved. Technology functioned as a confidence builder. One student (ID1) transformed from someone who "was eager but reserved and frequently tried to confirm steps" to declaring "The printer is broken again" and taking independent troubleshooting action. Students developed transferable skills beyond 3D printing: computer literacy, file system navigation, problem-solving through practiced troubleshooting, collaboration and communication, and customer service. Students with ID were more expressive about frustration with technical failures. After a third consecutive failed print, one exclaimed "What—again?! It's never gonna work!" The researchers recommend planning for these emotional responses with contingency activities and multiple printers to reduce single-point failures.
Relevance
This paper provides a practical blueprint for inclusive STEM education that challenges assumptions about what people with intellectual disabilities can learn. The integrated classroom model—pairing students with and without disabilities as equals working toward shared goals—offers benefits beyond skills training: it breaks down stigmas and misconceptions for non-disabled students while building confidence for students with ID. For educators, the specific recommendations are immediately actionable: teach for recognition rather than recall using visual materials; plan longer sessions (2+ hours) to accommodate 3D print times; have multiple printers to mitigate failures; store login credentials locally to prevent lockouts; and explicitly enforce turn-taking in paired activities. The emphasis on equal grading rubrics regardless of disability status reinforces the message that students with ID are full participants, not recipients of charity. The entrepreneurship framing is particularly significant. Rather than positioning 3D printing as vocational training for dependent employment, the course emphasized self-employment possibilities. Students expressed interest in selling designs on campus and pursuing paid lab positions—aspirations that challenge the sheltered-workshop paradigm that still dominates employment for people with ID.
Tags: intellectual disability · 3D printing · inclusive education · postsecondary education · employability · integrated classroom · cognitive disability · STEM education · digital fabrication
Standards referenced: IDEA