How to make teaching of wood anatomy more engaging with 3D data

Wood is a highly heterogeneous material with a variable and three-dimensional (3D) anatomy at the microscopic level. Research and application of wood depend on well-educated individuals, who understand the wood anatomy. The teaching and learning of that complex structure are challenging with common teaching resources, which are mostly based on two-dimensional microscopy images. Innovative teaching materials may involve 3D data provided by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Using 3D data of wood, this article suggests approaches to make teaching and learning of wood anatomy more engaging. Whereas 3D visualizations can be added as a new resource to teaching presentations, digital 3D models of wood features can be incorporated into virtual data libraries allowing students to move freely through the 3D structure. These models can also be printed using additive manufacturing providing hands-on material in class. These teaching materials have the potential to become a valuable and future-oriented educational toolkit for promoting students’ learning experience and motivation. To encourage the use of 3D data in teaching, 3D data of selected anatomical features of softwoods and hardwoods are provided along with the article.