3D Printing and Acceptable Use Policies

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I recently returned home from attending the BETT Show in London where hundreds of vendors were showcasing their latest innovations in educational technology. One technology that has intrigued me over the past few years is 3D printing – and many schools are starting to incorporate these printers into their Design Technology courses. One company was handing out working drive-chains to visitors that were printed in a single run – and you can see from the picture that the links are quite high precision. However, with this high precision comes the ability to manufacture weapons – and although the materials aren’t robust enough yet to handle the expanding gasses of a fired bullet, schools will need to develop AUPs and to set internal policies for how they will address students’ natural curiosity.