International Open Study Group - "Pro Tips for 3D Printers Shared to Groups"

[mattgriffin 28]

Checking to see if there is interest here in launching a defacto "International Open Study Group" right here in the Ultimaker Education Forums on a particularly universal topic.

There have been a lot of requests for educators in our community to band together to share best practices around managing shared printers in a classroom or makerspace. Everything from locking down the SD card slot and using 3D Host queue only to run the prints (for better audit repair and faster alerts when a machine goes down) to the eternal struggle to find the right spatula/scraper solution that is safe enough for you students/users and yet actually effective without mauling the bottom of every part. While Ultimaker and educators conversing here post frequently on aspects of this topic, staying abreast of the latest trends, tricks, and best practices can be challenging for overbusy educators. What educators have been requesting is a low-frequency "Pro Tips for 3D Printers Shared to Groups" (working title ) round up of the latest new strides made in this area, a resource created by educators and shared back to educators.

A few of the Pioneer Program participants and other educators and those supporting educators at schools, universities, and beyond have already stepped up to this topic and are hoping to dedicate some time to contributing -- how many of you active in the forums here would be interested in participating by sharing your experiences, best practices?

And more details than just your favorite spatula, that will never be resolved.

[peetersm 124]

Are you asking for people to join the pioneer program?

Or are you asking if it's a good idea to post a "particularly universal topic" to harvest the community's input for summary and re-posting on the edu site?

[mattgriffin 28]

Hey Mark! Actually, the International Study Groups don't have to be Pioneer Program participants only. In fact, the international part of that won't be in the program, as the Pioneers right now are North America only. (there will be routes for others soon)

I am looking to get folks who are passionate on a key question of value to everyone to work together to divide up the task of investigating and attempting to locate excellent resources and solutions and best practices -- and then as a group share them back in the education resources, in this forum, and possibly elsewhere.

This is a relatively new project and we have a trial run planned that is mostly Pioneer Program folks to figure out how to do this effectively. But if there are people wanting to get in on this right now from elsewhere in the world, this would be a great way to get this concept rolling!