PROJECT BASED LEARNING ON DESIGN FOR 3D PRINTING ASSEMBLY

This paper aims to report a reflection on the importance of knowledge transmission in the field of Design through the Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach. In particular, it aims to present the effectiveness of this approach through the experience gained in conceiving, designing, planning and leading the crashcourse "Design for 3D Printing Assembly" organized as part of the Passion in Action initiative of the School of Design of the Politecnico di Milano. This course promoted the use of 3D printing as a production technology for functional objects. This is to counter the growing trend for students to use additive manufacturing technologies as a tool for only making study models and prototypes of projects conceived for other production systems. The two-day course activities promoted the conceptualization of joining systems capable of exploiting the peculiarities of 3D printing Fused Deposition Modeling technology. During the course, vast space was given to design activities to conceive and realize collections of additive-printed objects of joints, where a large space was given to trial and error approach, and all the other peculiarities of the PBL approach. This process proved to be a valuable and attractive training moment, and in order to provide all the information about the activity, an introduction chapter helps clarify the context and the field of application the crash course is framed, and the lessons learned are listed in the discussion and conclusion part of the paper.