Tinkerine U will Integrate 3D Printing With Online, STEAM-Based Learning
Tinkerine™ Studios Ltd. (TSXV: TTD and OTC Pink: TKSTF), Canada's leading manufacturer of desktop 3D printers and 3D printing educational content, announces the launch of its Tinkerine™ U content delivery platform. Tinkerine U will now provide, educators, students, and consumers with 3D printer training, lesson plans, and a collaboration forum where educators and developers can share content and best practices.
Tinkerine CEO Eugene Suyu stated, "We saw that no other 3D printer manufacturer was committed to providing adequate levels of training and support for 3D printing enthusiasts, especially educators. So we made the strategic decision to invest in training and content, both now and going forward, so that we can capture our share of the $86 billion education technology market and the broader $122 billion online learning industry."
Tinkerine U's launch follows a global pilot project where Tinkerine Studios engaged and co-developed content with educators. This extensive collaboration not only provided direction for Tinkerine U's content development, but also illuminated a significant roadblock inhibiting the widespread adoption of 3D printers within educational institutions, and the lack of training and support for educators. Many teachers have never had the opportunity to use 3D printers, hence impeding their ability to incorporate 3D technologies (e.g. scanning, modeling, printing, etc.) into their curriculum.
Liz Arum, Tinkerine U's education coordinator, who held a similar position at competitor Makerbot added, "By combining Tinkerine U training with Tinkerine Studios' intuitive, easy-to-use 3D printers, educators can learn 3D printing within a matter of hours. Educators can then leverage Tinkerine U's expanding portfolio of 3D printing projects for the classroom and focus on teaching the lessons and engaging their students rather than troubleshoot hardware and software issues. Tinkerine U provides workable solutions for educators' varying learning objectives."
Audrey Van Alstyne, District Principal, Learning Technologies for the Vancouver School Board commented "We are excited about the launch of Tinkerine U as 3D printing offers many possibilities for transforming learning, and making it both visible and engaging to students in the design process."
Tinkerine U's core technology differentiation is in its next generation online content delivery platform which delivers high quality, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) based content that includes: videos, lesson plans, online courses, technician training, workshops, and support for maker spaces, as well as community-driven collaboration via a peer to peer market place. Educators and enthusiasts will be incentivized to develop and share their own 3D print projects and content. A good portion of this will be free, with some premium content being offered in the future (pricing to be set by developers).
