We love seeing how our printers are put to the test in top-tier universities. We’ve seen architects at ETH Zurich and engineers at ZHAW and the University of Calgary use them for demanding, high-tech projects. This time, we’re heading to a university that utilizes 3D printing to shape the way it teaches mathematics. Welcome to Linz!

At the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) in Linz, Austria, the focus is on teacher education. This approach is a powerful multiplier: a new teaching method developed here can reach countless students as these future educators start their careers.

Professor Zsolt Lavicza from the JKU Linz School of Education puts it simply: “We are using lots of 3D printing in our projects because we believe that this will be an integral part of everyday life.” He and his team are equipping the next generation of educators with tools that actually work in a modern classroom.

Getting math off the screen

No one understands this challenge better than Markus Hohenwarter, the founder of GeoGebra, the dynamic mathematics software used by over 100 million students and teachers worldwide. While GeoGebra is a fantastic tool for visualizing math digitally, Markus knew there was a barrier it couldn’t cross on its own.

“A picture says more than a thousand words or equations,” Markus explains. “But we have seen that students particularly struggle with understanding 3D objects on a screen… 3D printing is a wonderful way to take what you see on the screen into reality.”

This led to a simple yet powerful workflow: model complex mathematical objects in GeoGebra, and use a Prusa 3D printer to bring them into the physical world.

Games, puzzles, and haptic models

This is the daily work of MSc. Mathias Tejera, a University Assistant in STEM education at JKU. He works with future teachers to develop tools that turn learning into an act of discovery.

A great example is their “Genius Square,” or a 3D-printed, multi-level tic-tac-toe game. It’s a fun way to teach logic, spatial reasoning, and coordinate systems without the kids even realizing it. In another project, they explore the concept of volume by having students physically assemble the different 3D-printed parts of a cube. No more abstractly cutting virtual objects; they can see and feel how they fit together.

The team also prints the graphs of complex functions, allowing students to hold an equation in their hands. “Having this 3D graph in your hands gives you a lot of ideas about how the function will behave,” Mathias notes.

This approach has even paved the way for incredible inclusivity: The team is part of a project for blind students, using printed models of functions to teach concepts that are otherwise
inaccessible. “They can touch it and feel it and get an idea about what we are talking about,” Mathias says. For him, the conclusion is clear:
“Having something in your hand, it’s a completely different experience… 3D Printing comes here to save us. I think it’s the tool that was missing.”

Choosing the right printer for the job

For this to work in schools, the technology has to be rock-solid. Teachers, understandably, have little time for printers that require constant maintenance.

“I have tried a lot of printers,” Mathias recounts. “I bought a cheap one… and we had a problem with the technical side. You needed a really expert teacher to use it. However, we are now trying the Prusa printers, and we are receiving very positive feedback from the teachers. They are not asking us for help with the technical part. They just put the file in, push print, and get what they want.”
The team, which started with the Original Prusa i3 MK3, is now extensively using the MK4S. “We had the feeling that’s even simpler. You don’t need to calibrate the machine; you can move it around, just put it in a place and print, and that will work.” He adds with a laugh, “The Input Shaper. It’s a life changer. I’m saving hours of my life every day.”

The whole ecosystem makes a difference. Using Prusament means the filament profiles are already dialed in. “They just select the profile in the slicer,” Mathias explains. “Having the filament that works perfectly with the printer, it’s the best option.” They’re also sharing their work and connecting with other educators on Printables.com, embracing the open-source community spirit.

The future is looking bright!

As more teachers from the program gain access to the printers, the library of ideas and custom-made teaching tools continues to grow. For Mathias Tejera, the way forward is obvious.
“I think in 5, 6, 10 years, this will be like a computer in the school,” he predicts. “We will have a room with some printers and every teacher will be able to use it, play with it, teach with it. I think we are moving in the right direction.”

With every teacher who graduates from their program, the team at JKU Linz sends another ambassador for hands-on learning out into the world.

And we can’t wait to see what they build.. ehm.. print!