The Digital Footprint: A Systematic Review of the Impact of 3D Printing in Art Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18537/mskn.16.02.04Keywords:
3D printing, education, art, innovation, creativityAbstract
The use of 3D printing has the potential to contribute positively to art and education. This systematic review has been conducted to identify previous studies that address the benefits and challenges in the use of 3D printers in artistic education. The period of analysis of publications reviewed was between 2017 and 2024 to ensure the relevance and timeliness of the study. The initial results of the review yielded 220 results from which a second screening resulted in 113 records that were reviewed against inclusion and exclusion criteria. This third screening resulted in 10 articles that were analysed and compared. It is concluded that 3D printing serves as an effective pedagogical tool with certain challenges to overcome and at the same time it is identified that the use of printers of this type in the field of arts education is not yet sufficiently widespread and well known.
Downloads
Metrics
References
Adler, A. (2023). Artificial Authenticity. New York University Law Review, 98(3), 706-769.
Alhonkoski, M., Salminen, L., Pakarinen, A. & Veermans, M. (2021). 3D technology to support teaching and learning in health care education – A scoping review. International Journal of Educational Research, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101699
Assante, D., Cennamo, G.M. & Placidi, L. (2020). 3D Printing in Education: an European perspective. In 2020 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) (pp. 1133-1138). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON45650.2020.9125311
Brown, M. (2023). A brief history of 3D printing. Cad Crowd.
Chen, Y. H., & Chang, P. L. (2018). 3D printing assisted in art education: Study on the effectiveness of visually impaired students in space learning. In 2018 IEEE International Conference on Applied System Invention (ICASI) (pp. 803-806). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ICASI.2018.8394384
Chun, H. (2021). A Study on the Impact of 3D Printing and Artificial Intelligence on Education and Learning Process. Scientific Programming, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/2247346
Dixit, U. S. (2022). Evolution of Manufacturing. In V. Sharma and P.M. Pandey (Eds.), Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing Processes: Principles and Applications (pp.1-30). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003327394-1
Farnicka, M. & Serrano Diaz, N (2019). 3D printing skills as a resource for the development of creativity in middle childhood. Rocznik Lubuski, 45(1), 123–134. https://doi.org/10.34768/rl.2019.v451.07
González-Zamar, M.-D. (2024). Expresión plástica y visual: un espacio creativo y didáctico de aprendizaje. Universidad Almería.
González-Zamar, M.-D., & Abad-Segura, E. (2023). Aproximación al aprendizaje artístico-visual y digital en la Educación Superior. Maskana, 14(1), 66-77. https://doi.org/10.18537/mskn.14.01.05
González-Zamar, M.-D., Abad-Segura, E., &Ademar Ferreyra, H. (2023). Alfabetización visual en la Educación Artística en contextos universitarios. International Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, (19), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.46661/ijeri.5735
Heredia Martínez, C. A. & Franco Rubio, J. P. (2014). Tecnologías de fabricación aditiva. La impresora 3D, antecedentes y funcionamiento. Ignis, (7), 24-30. https://doi.org/10.52143/2711-029X.92
Horton, J. (2021). Assessment of the first 1000 3D prints requests at an academic library. Public Services Quarterly, 17(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228959.2020.1857320
Jordan, A., Knochel, A.D., Meisel, N., Reiger, K. & Sinha, S. (2021). Making on the Move: Mobility, Makerspaces, and Art Education. The International Journal of Art y Design Education, 40(1), 52-65. https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12333
Khyzhynskyi, V., Lampeka, M., & Strilets, V. (2024). The history of the development of 3D printing technologies and their use in world artistic ceramics. History of Science and Technology, 14(1), 152-183. https://doi.org/10.32703/2415-7422-2024-14-1-152-183
Malinka, K., Vodová, L., Jancová, M., Sobková L. & Schindler, V. (2024). Evaluation of the Pedagogical Impact of the Educational Usage of 3D Printing in Czech Lower Secondary and Grammar Schools. European Journal of Educational Research, 13(2), 631-649. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.13.2.631
Menano, L., Fidalgo, P., Santos, I. M., & Thormann, J. (2019). Integration of 3D Printing in Art Education: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Computers in the Schools, 36(3), 222–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/07380569.2019.1643442
Meng, C. (2022). Introduce 3D Modelling and Virtual Technology to High School Art Education. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 637, 767-770. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220131.139
Mpofu, T.P., Mawere, C. & Mukosera, M. (2012). The Impact and Application of 3D Printing Technology. International Journal of Science and Research, 3(6), 2148-2152.
Ochoa Guevara, A. (2023). Origen y avance de la impresión 3D. +Ciencia. Revista de la Facultad de Ingeniería, (33), 24-28.
Reilly, P. & Dawson, I. (2021). Track and Trace, and Other Collaborative Art/Archaeology Bubbles in the Phygital Pandemic. Open Archaeology, 7(1), 291-313. https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2020-0137
Siemiński, P. (2021). Introduction to fused deposition modeling. In J. Pou, A. Riveiro and J.P. Davim (Eds.), Additive Manufacturing (pp. 217-275). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818411-0.00008-2
Smith, S. (2014). 3D Printing: where art and technology collide. TRENDS, The Journal of the Texas Art Education Association, 17-23.
Sullivan, P. (2020). 3D Printing in Early Childhood Classrooms: Teacher Considerations and Decisions. In N. Ali, and M.S. Khine (Eds.), Integrating 3D printing into teaching and learning (1a ed., Vol. 13, pp. 15-31). BRILL. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004415133
Turner, H., Resch, G., Southwick, D., McEwen, R., Dubé, A.K. & Record, I. (2017). Using 3D Printing to Enhance Understanding and Engagement with Young Audiences: Lessons from Workshops in a Museum. Curator, 60(3), 311-333. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12224
Wargo, J. M., Morales, M., & Corbitt, A. (2022). Fabricating response: Preservice elementary teachers remediating response to The Circuit through 3D printing and design. Curriculum Inquiry, 52(5), 544¬-570. https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.2022.2149028
Wendt, J., Beach J. & Wendt, S. (2020). 3D Printing: Practical Applications for K-16 Education. In N. Ali, and M.S. Khine (Eds.), Integrating 3D printing into teaching and learning (1a ed., Vol. 13, pp. 1-14). BRILL. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004415133
Wisdom, S. & Novak, E. (2020). Using 3D Printing to Enhance STEM Teaching and Learning: Recommendations for Designing 3D Printing Projects. In N. Ali, and M.S. Khine (Eds.), Integrating 3D printing into teaching and learning (1a ed., Vol. 13, pp. 189-205). BRILL. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004415133
Wohlers, T., Gornet, T., Mostow, N., Campbell, I., Diegel, O., Kowen, J., Huff, R., Stucker, B., Fidan, I., Doukas, A., Drab, B., Drstvenšek, I., Eitsert, N., Espalin, D., Feldhausen, T., Ghany, K.A., Gillett-Crooks, M., Guo, D., Held, A., Hargovan, S., Holmegaard, L., Jeng, J.Y., Jurrens, K., Keating, B., Ksy, A., Kircher, R., de Beer, D., Brandt, M., Vasco, J., Khorasani, M., Overy, C., Park, K., Chen, S., Pearce, N. & Peels, J. (2016). History of Additive Manufacturing. Wohlers Report 2016-2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4474824
Ye, Z., Dun, A., Jiang, H., Nie, C., Zhao, S., Wang, T. & Zhai, J. (2020). The role of 3D printed models in the teaching of human anatomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Medical Education, 20(1) , 335 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02242-x
Zhang, H. Y. (2024). Investigating the Use of 3D Printing in Fine Arts Education: A Case Study on Student Artistic Development. Art and Design Review, 12, 284-299. https://doi.org/10.4236/adr.2024.124020
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mariana Daniela González Zamar, Emilio Abad Segura, Kristyna Malikova
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright © Autors. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. for any article submitted from 6 June 2017 onwards. For manuscripts submitted before, the CC BY 3.0 License was used.
You are free to:
 |
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format |
 |
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. |
Under the following conditions:
 |
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the licence, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licenser endorses you or your use. |
| No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the licence permits. |
