2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The use of 3D printed media to improve the accessibility of engineering educational materials

Presented at Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH) Technical Session 1: Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

There is a need for improvement in teaching engineering, math, and science to students with visual impairments. Most media available for instruction are visual, and many concepts are taught visually, making them inaccessible to students with visual impairments. In addition to the wider use of alternative text (alt text) [1], swell paper printing, braille touch pads, sonification, and other technologies, individual instructors have made strides in using 3D printing to make graphical engineering content more accessible [2]. A variety of other studies have been done to show the effectiveness of 3D printing in delivering instruction to students with visual impairments [3],[4]. Ready access to 3D printable media for engineering education remains elusive despite 3D printing technology becoming widespread, partially due to cost and partially due to complications in transforming flat images into 3D printable objects.

Access to 3D printable files for graphs and illustrations in textbooks would improve instructors' ability to deliver accessible content to students with visual impairments, beyond alt text or tabular data alone. Several studies have shown that visually impaired students benefit from tactile media 3D printing can provide. Examples of such work exist in chemistry [3], mathematics [5],[6], and engineering [2]. Studies have also shown that 3D printed media can be designed to be useful across the whole spectrum of visual impairment as well as by fully sighted learners [7],[8],[9]. A survey of prior work is presented in this paper to collate possible solutions to making such a 3D printable file collection a reality, and to find ways to integrate such a collection into interactive online textbooks. Existing technologies are investigated for their advantages and disadvantages compared to 3D printing. The potential difficulties in creating a 3D file collection (including file conversion, file storage, dissemination, and compatibility) are discussed.

The effectiveness of 3D printed media to convey information is crucial. This paper is intended to serve as the basis of establishing a method and process for building a functional, textbook-integratable collection of 3D printable media for ready use to improve accessibility of engineering educational content.

Authors

Dr. Gergely Sirokman zyBooks, A Wiley Brand [biography]

Gergely (Greg) Sirokman is an engineering content developer at zyBooks, a Wiley brand. He earned a BS in chemistry from Brandeis University, and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from MIT. He was a Professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology for 14 years, with particular interests in renewable energy and gamification of education. He now works on creating and improving statistics and engineering content for zyBooks' online interactive textbooks, and has developed a keen interest in increasing accessibility for learning media.
Dr. Ryan Barlow zyBooks, A Wiley Brand [biography]

Ryan Barlow obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah in 2012, his Master's Degree in Science Education from the University of Maryland in 2016 and his PhD in Engineering Education from Utah State University in 2020. He currently works for zyBooks, A Wiley Brand creating interactive content for online mechanical engineering textbooks. His current research focuses on online engineering assessment, accessibility in online textbooks, and studying the effectiveness of online textbooks in engineering courses.
Dr. Adrian Rodriguez zyBooks, a Wiley brand [biography]

Adrian Rodriguez is an Engineering Content Developer for zyBooks, a Wiley brand and a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include engineering education, multibody dynamics, contact and impact with friction, electro-mechanical systems, and nonlinear dynamics. He earned his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Arlington.
Dr. Alicia Clark zyBooks, A Wiley Brand [biography]

Alicia Clark obtained her BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lafayette College, and her MS and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington. Her research interests include engineering education, fluid mechanics, and medical ultrasound. She is currently an Engineering Content Developer for zyBooks, a Wiley Brand. At zyBooks, she creates digital content for engineering textbooks to help make textbooks more engaging and accessible for students.
Lauren Fogg zyBooks, a Wiley Brand [biography]

Lauren Fogg obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2021 and her Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2022 from Louisiana Tech University. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Engineering Education from Louisiana Tech University. She is currently an Associate Engineering Content Developer with zyBooks, a Wiley Brand. Her research interests are diversity, gender equity, retention, project-based learning, cognitive models of problem-solving, and making engineering textbooks more accessible and innovative for students.

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