A first approach to Design through a hands-on 3D printing introductory course

A university orientation course, "Basics and Principles of Rapid Prototyping in 3D Printing", was conducted for 137 prospective students. The primary objective was to introduce them to the Design discipline by teaching them fundamental concepts and practical skills in 3D printing. This technology was ideal for combining technical constraints with creative stimulation, guiding students through their first design process. The course featured hands-on activities where students worked on redesigning objects while learning essential skills like object dimensioning, sketching, 3D modelling, printing, and post-production. A learning-by-doing approach was employed, blending interactive lectures with practical exercises, yielding positive student learning assessment results. Student progress was assessed using a Retrospective Pre-test methodology for a subset of available participants. By the end of the three-day course, all students demonstrated the ability to conceptualise and materialise design proposals, create 3D models, and operate 3D printers to produce tangible objects.