Project Title: Expanding 3D Scanning to the entire Anthropology Major and Archaeology Minor

Project Lead's Name: Jeb Card

Project Lead's Email: cardjj@MiamiOH.edu

Project Lead's Phone: 513-529-8399

Project Lead's Division: CAS

Primary Department: Anthropology

List Departments Benefiting or Affected by this proposal: Anthropology

Estimated Number of Under-Graduate students affected per year (should be number who will actually use solution, not just who is it available to): 84

Estimated Number of Graduate students affected per year (should be number who will actually use solution, not just who is it available to): 0

Describe the problem you are attempting to solve and your approach for solving that problem:

 

 

Over the last eight years, we have pioneered a 3D scanning program in the Anthropology Department that has placed advanced tools in the hands of undergraduate students. We have committed our curriculum to making this a standard part of training for undergraduate students in our core courses, both to support broader STEM education as well as to put our anthropology and archaeology students ahead of the curve on digitizing material culture and biological remains. Previous tech fee grants have been instrumental in this, and we would like to continue these efforts. Our first 3D scanner has become obsolete after 9 years due to changes in computer operating systems and supporting software. Our current primary scanner, purchased with a 2019 tech fee grant, has been a great success, but it is an effort-intensive and non-portable high-resolution scanner used primarily by about 10-15 upper-level students per year. Note that it is with the use of this scanner that supervised students have been able to make publicly available images of artifacts on Sketchfab, which was particularly important during remote instruction but will continue to be important as a form of public anthropology at a public university. For those interested, you can see the work we have accomplished thus far with the small group of students with access to the non-portable scanner: https://sketchfab.com/miamianthropology3d

 

 

 

How would you describe the innovation and/or the significance of your project:

 

To bring the technologies and skills of 3-D scanning to a broader audience, a portable high-resolution but easy-to-use plug-and-play 3D scanner would enhance our teaching, particularly given the new partnership with ETBD in which the anthropology major is now a track. The SOL 3D Scanner is relatively inexpensive ($799), portable, can create scans within 10-20 minutes, and is highly applicable to classroom use (versus being limited to a smaller number of students in labs). This scanner, along with a laptop (estimated at $1700 (Inspiron G15 5510 i7-10870H, 16GB, 512TB, RTX 3060, Premium Support, 3 Years, Accidental damage, will be confirmed by CAS tech support) would serve students at multiple levels of engagement:

• In-class demonstration of 3-D scanning technologies in lecture; ~ 200 students/year
• Hands-on training for all anthropology majors and archaeology minors through the creation of new lab exercises in the core course for the major: ATH 212: Archaeological Method and Theory; ~60 students/year.
• Opens up the possibility of hands-on learning and new modules in upper-level archaeology courses such as ATH388 & ATH416; ~ 24 students/ year, with the potential of having students in these upper-level courses also contributing to our online artifacts collection on Sketchfab

How will you assess the success of the project?

By including specific questions on the student course evaluations regarding modules using the 3-D scanners and by measuring the rate at which 3-D scans are added to the Sketchfab account.

Financial Information

Total Amount Requested: $2,500

Budget Details:

• SOL 3D Scanner at = $799
• Laptop estimate = $1,700 (Inspiron G15 5510 i7-10870H, 16GB, 512TB, RTX 3060
• Premium Support, 3 Years, Accidental damage) will be confirmed by CAS tech support.

Please address how, if at all, this project aligns with University, Divisional, Departmental or Center strategic goals: This proposal aligns with MiamiRise goals of research and scholarship, as well as innovation. By integrating new 3-D technologies into classrooms, we are exposing undergraduates to a new technologically based skill that is associated with research and public scholarship. This affords opportunities for undergraduates in classrooms to gain research/scholarship skills opening them to the possibilities of engaging in research as undergraduates. This proposal also aligns with CAS goals of immersive courses that promote intellectual discovery and personal development as students learn about and gain new skills, as well as gain a deeper knowledge about the artifacts they are scanning through the use of these technologies. Finally, the proposal aligns with departmental goals of giving students world-class educational opportunities while offering them opportunities to develop practical skills. At every level, this proposal would give us technologies that would allow us to forward the strategic goals of the University, College, and Department.