1. Advancing Children’s Engineering Through Desktop Manufacturing
Glen Bull , Jennifer Chiu , Robert Berry , Hod Lipson，and Charles Xie

2. Contents 1 Important vocabulary 2 Introduction 3
Engineering Design in Schools 4
Desktop Manufacturing Technologies 5
Desktop Manufacturing in Schools
Children’s Engineering through
Desktop Manufacturing 7

3. Important vocabulary
Desktop Manufacturing = the ability to manufacture physical items from your desktop.
STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
Mechatronics = a design process that includes a combination of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, control engineering and computer engineering

4. Important vocabulary
EiE- (Engineering is Elementary) Engineering design at elementary school
CNC – computer numerical control
M.I.T.-Massachusetts Institute of Technology
FabLab-fabrication laboratory
CAD-computer-aided design

5. Contents 1 Important vocabulary 2 Introduction 3
Engineering Design in Schools 4
Desktop Manufacturing Technologies 5
Desktop Manufacturing in Schools
Children’s Engineering through
Desktop Manufacturing 6

6. Introduction
Current curricular can’t provide connections between children engineering and school science & school math yet
Children engineering is already scaled & scaffolded and encompasses the elementary and middle school grades
Children engineering meets the requests of globalization
Technology (fabricators & computer assisted design programs) plays a great role here
Little researches on how to incorporate desktop manufacturing systems in education
However, some researches on STEM exist already

7. Contents 1 Important vocabulary 2 Introduction 3
Engineering Design in Schools 4
Desktop Manufacturing Technologies 5
Desktop Manufacturing in Schools
Children’s Engineering through
Desktop Manufacturing 6

8. Engineering design
is a “systematic, intelligent process in which designers generate, evaluate, and specify concepts for devices, systems, or processes whose form and function achieve clients’ objectives or users’ needs while satisfying a specified set of constraints”. Dym, Agogino, Eris, Frey, &Leifer, 2005

9. Challenges of Engendering Design
“Engineering design is difficult to learn, teach, and assess, and is less studied than scientific inquiry ”
Katehi, 2009
Lack of data collection & analysis
Lack of in-depth knowledge about students design thinking & learning
Many teachers are not prepared to integrate engineering into classroom
Engineering design need to be aligned with educational standards
Need to enhance STEM education

10. Some existing design units1
Age of students:
6th grade
Artificial lungs
学生收获：
Developing motor skills by making hand-on construction of prototype
Knowledge about respiratory system
Ability of using web-based simulation

11. Some existing design units2
Age of students:
8th grade
Alarm systems
学生收获：
Understanding of energy transfer and electrical circuits
Developing motor skills by making hand-on construction of prototype
Ability of using web-based simulation

12. Some existing design units3
Age of students:
K-8
Bedroom design
学生收获：
Deep knowledge of math (shapes and scales)
Developing motor skills by making hand-on construction of prototype
Ability of using web-based simulation

13. Some existing design units4
Age of students:
elementary
Engineering is Elementary
学生收获：
solving students’ real-life problems
through engineering design
Engage with design challenges
Investigate and test materials

14. Studies suggest:
Students benefit from rapid prototyping (focus and frame attention, achieve multiple iteration during the work toward a solution)
Need of pedagogical support for students engaged in design projects
Teachers without formal engineering training easily integrate design in their classroom

15. Contents 1 Important vocabulary 2 Introduction 3
Engineering Design in Schools 4
Desktop Manufacturing Technologies 5
Desktop Manufacturing in Schools
Children’s Engineering through
Desktop Manufacturing 6

16. Digital manufacturing
“is a culmination of advances at the intersection of the Industrial Revolution and the Information Age.”
Has a great impact on Engineering and Global Economics

17. Basic elements of Desktop Manufacturing

19. Overview of digital Manufacturing: CNC milling head

20. Overview of digital Manufacturing: 3d fabricators

21. Overview of Digital Manufacturing: 2d fabricators: computer controlled die-cutter

22. Overview of Digital Manufacturing: 2d fabricators: computer controlled embroidery machine

23. Overview of Digital Manufacturing: 2d fabricators: laser cutter
Capable of cutting very many kinds of materials (paper, plastic, wood, metal, organics, fabrics etc.)

24. FabLab
XXI
世纪初
Neil Gershenfeld,
M.I.T. Professor

26. *Online design
website where everybody can create, share, remix all kinds of design ideas for free.

27. Contents 1 Important vocabulary 2 Introduction 3
Engineering Design in Schools 4
Desktop Manufacturing Technologies 5
Desktop Manufacturing in Schools
Children’s Engineering through
Desktop Manufacturing 6

28. School Fabrication Hardware$
Computer-controlled
die cutters (=
inkjet printer)
2D fabricators
3D scanners
3D printers

29. School Fabrication Software(CAD tools)
Google Sketch Up – fabrication software for children that can match scaffolding to the learning objects
FabLab Model Maker – (for schools) supports 2d and 3dfabrications, allows changing level of scaffolding
Energy 3D – developed for engineering design learning

30. Contents 1 Important vocabulary 2 Introduction 3
Engineering Design in Schools 4
Desktop Manufacturing Technologies 5
Desktop Manufacturing in Schools
Children’s Engineering through
Desktop Manufacturing 6

31. Advantages of Engineering through Desktop Manufacturing
Motivates Learning
Closes the gap between theoretical and applied knowledge
Improves knowledge of geometry, math, technology, chemistry, biology etc. (STEM)
Develops spatial reasoning, motor skills, collaboration skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, optimization skills etc.

32. Significant researches on these subjects
Studies suggest:
Children’s Engineering through Desktop Manufacturing is great for:
Developing Motor Skills
Connecting Virtual and Physical representation
Significant researches on these subjects

33. Conclusion
Though the ways implementing children Engineering into curriculum are not well understood, but for sure it has very many advantages (improves all kinds of knowledge and skills).
Things to be addresses first of all: 1)technology, 2)curricular,3)related professional development

34. 谢谢大家！