Gand Videregående Skole is one of Rogaland’s largest secondary schools, established in 1897. About eleven hundred students, aged fifteen to twenty, attend. Gand believes in personal growth as a vocational school, creating an environment that helps students develop their abilities and self-confidence. Students are offered various courses, including building and construction, electronics, automation and data, health and youth development, service and transport, technology and industrial production, and classes that prepare them for higher education or vocational careers.
Gand’s interest in 3D printing started with the teachers, mainly those who teach electronics, construction, and industrial production. The school is always looking for ways to prepare their students for future careers creatively. Incorporating 3D printing into the current teaching methods is one area Gand wanted to expand.
Gand was curious about 3D printing and started with a “do-it-your-self” kit in the electronics department. It wanted to create a maker space area for students and 3D models the teachers could use as teaching aids. The school recognized how 3D models, compared to traditional 2D methods, help students to understand a subject better and retain information.
One area that Gand was concerned about was safety, and they wanted to have a level of security over the 3D printer and the printed models.
Gand chose YSoft BE3D eDee because the teachers liked that the printer was locked down during printing. Gand wanted teachers to work with students to create and prepare models, and then the teachers would log in and print them.
The lockable doors of the YSoft BE3D eDee printer provide the security they were looking for, and the management software allows the teachers to control access without having to lock the printer away.
Gand’s YSoft BE3D eDee initial solution comprised of:
“We decided to use the YSoft BE3D eDee solution because we liked that the printer was locked down during printing. The locking doors gave us the security we were looking for. We liked the overall concept that eDee allowed us teachers to control access,” says Sverre Wilhelmsen, IT Manager, Gand Videregaende Skole.
Gand started with two eDee printers in the library, and there has been a high level of interest in using the 3D printers from both students and teachers. About 50% of printed models are from teachers, and 50% are student projects.
With YSoft BE3D eDee, we feel we are better preparing our students for their future careers and nurturing their creativity.
Ingve Bjørnå, Electronics Teacher, Gand Videregående Skole
Teachers are creating 3D models as teaching aids, and students have made 3D models in classes. Take, for example, electronics lessons, where the class makes car parts. Also, Gand gets the students to create audio speakers and speaker bases twice a year, a project inspired by something the teachers found on the Internet.
Students can also learn about vector and raster files by printing 3D models of Marvel comic logos. This helps to illustrate the difference between the two types of files. It has also increased students’ interest in 3D drawing and learning to create 3D models on the computer.
Due to the printers' location, students are using the library’s resources more, an additional benefit they had not predicted.
The 3D printing benefits experienced by Gand include:
With YSoft BE3D eDee, Gand feels they better prepare students for their future careers and nurture their creativity. After starting with two 3D printers, the school has four in the library.