At a time, when much emphasis is laid upon the concept of building design thinking in students through curriculum activities, such amazing edtech products like Tinkercad are a real boon to carry forward the visionary plans of the education stakeholders.
This product not only helps teachers to foster design thinking skills in the students but allow students to have a hands on experience that is a much required facet for the students to retain their knowledge. It helps learners gather problem solving, action oriented and human centered skills with the ability to create various kinds of 3D printable models.
Tool – Free Browser Based Modelling Software.
Compatibility – Runs on Windows, Mac & Linux Operating Systems Works best with Chrome & Firefox Browsers.
Overview of the Product
To begin with, it is a free web based modelling software that enables students to create 3D printable models without needing any previous design experience. It is indeed a rewarding tool for the students and institution because designing 3D objects was never so easy, accessible and social in the past.
The fun about using this tool is that, it can be used in innumerable ways say from open computer lab time to being featured in a unit or class on 3-D design and printing. Best of all, even if the classroom does not have a 3D printer, it does not check the students from taking print out of their work. Yes, students have the option to order prints of their model creation from within the Tinkercad application. They have an integration with third party printing services providers and this gives the users a chance to choose from a range of printing options. It also allows the user to have designs printed and shipped right-away at one’s doorstep without any hassle
Before we further dive deeper into the product, let’s get inside the online 3D printing design tool and carry on our discussing on the important components of the tool. Take a look at the image below.
Complete inside look of the tool
Across user levels (beginners-experienced designers), the tool is meant for all. It offers complete freedom to the users to play with shapes or may be group up the various shapes to make a detailed design. Users also get the freedom to import 2D or 3D vector shapes to extrude them into 3D models.
The 3D printing company allows one to import external 3D files that later become editable shapes in the Tinkercad platform. There is a trick to do that and to learn all the easy hacks to creation of 3D models, Tinkercad gives step-by-step lessons on design process that makes the journey of newcomers easy. Further, the library is a great resource available within the tool, for, it consists of more than 4 million pre-created designs that allow users to make the best usage of it to extract ideas and learn tricks of class 3D modeling from the works of other ace designers in the community. From this aspect, Tinkercad can be considered as an inspirational software too, for the design thinkers.
As a User, the tool gives the leverage to print one’s own designs using their own 3D printer and material. Unlike any other 3D printing service providers, Tinkercad stands out as unique solution, because it allows users to have a control on every stage of the 3D printing and design process. As the tool is compatible with all the models of 3D printers and laser cutters, therefore learners can immediately print as well as cut their own designs with the help of the tool.
All the 3D designs are saved on cloud, helping designers to easily access creations from anywhere with an internet connection from multiple computers. The product’s web based architecture enables team members to work on designs through collaboration- no matter where they are situated without any expense.
What do Teachers Think about This Tool?
Suaronne, a Math Teacher from a Middle School, High ELL population is a strong advocate of using Tinkercad to teach students design thinking because, the teacher finds it a very handy tool to teach students geometry sections of middle school math. This teacher has been using it to assist students to carry on hands on activity or problem based learning projects. All the composite figures of geometry can be illustrated very well with the help of Tinkercad, thereby help kids to have a ground understanding of the geometrical concepts.
Quite similar are the views of Josemartin, an education technologist who also thinks the tool to be worthy enough for schools to consider. To quote to what the teacher said, “I would use this in enrichment classes like leadership/business clubs where they can introduce Tinkercad designed products as there “model business products” and bring them to life.”
For another set of review on this tool, you need to quickly watch a crisp product review of this tool in the video below.
So, what makes you wait longer to get started off with Tinkercad right away? Go, register an account for free and follow the guidelines to use the tool by clicking here, to get a closer understanding of the tool by yourself. And before we leave you, we would like you to share with us, your views on the tool. Remember, you views are essential because, this will help others to make a wiser choice.
