A Case Study of the Maker Activity Program Among Undergraduate Students in Mexico
Oswaldo Castro-Romero Kyung Hee University / Graduate School of Education
Content
▸ Introduction
▸ Theoretical background
▸ Research methodology
▸ Results
▸ Conclusions
2
Introduction
A growing number of people around the world engage together
for producing personal objects, into physical and digital forms
3
(Martinez & Stager, 2013)
(Halverson & Sharidan, 2014)
Democratization of access to:
• Tools• Technologies• Materials• Resources
1990DIY
2002FIRST
FABLAB
2005MAKE
MAGAZINE
2006MAKER FAIRE
2009FIRST
HACKERSPACE
2014MAKERFAIREWHITE HOUSE
Introduction4
There is a growing interest in majors as
For many years, there is a tradition of studiesin social sciences and humanities
(IMCO, 2016)
IN LATINAMERICA
HOWEVER,
• Engineering• Information technologies• Computer sciences
Jordi Muñoz (Cofounder of 3d Robotics)
Art Crafts workshops Social movements
Introduction5
have appeared in the local communities.
Many makerspaces
makerspaces are created by engineers and computer scientists, but now also by:
Frequently,
• Industrial designers
• Architects
• Educators
Introduction6
THE PROBLEM
There is the difficulty of access to digital platforms and Internet and the implementation of innovative educational methods enhancing maker activities.
(Herrera, 2016; Rodriquez-Barrios and Pellizzoni, 2016)
THE QUESTIONS
How to create sustainable collaborative spaces that support maker activities?Q1Q1
Q2Q2 What is the potential of implementing makerspaces in education?
Theoretical background7
WHAT IS THE MAKER MOVEMENT?
▸(Martinez & Stager, 2013)
▸(Peppler & Bender, 2013)
Makers play, experiment, fail and success by constructing sharable knowledge
Maker movement is an innovative way to reimagine education
&Hacker CultureDIY Culture
Theoretical background8
“Students learn better by making tangible objects in the real world.”
(Papert, 1980)
The maker movement has a strong foundation of Papert’s constructionism theory. (Donaldson, 2014)
Theoretical background9
MakeractivitiesMaker activitiesconsist in giving to students the opportunity for:
▸ developing interest▸ new identities, and▸ content knowledge
(Martin, 2015)
Learners learn better working with:
▸ meaningful products▸ affordable materials▸ appropriated learning environments
(Falbel, 1993)
Theoretical background10
Makerspaces
are informal and open places wherein makers can explore their ideas, combining STEAM disciplines and developing technical skills to create new products.
(Sheridan, et al. 2014)
Program implementation:22 undergraduate students First and fourth year Korean Studies major
Research Methodology
72%
28%
Years in average
20
No experience in making
60%electricity class or repairing own stuffs
13%Yes
Research Methodology
Durationof the program
One-day(6 hours) • Photos• Videotaping• Reflective journals
Data collection
Tinkering Making Sharing Improving
CONCEPTUALIZATIONENCOURAGE INTEREST AND MOTIVATION
EMBODYING IDEASBUILDING PERSONAL PRODUCTS
SHARING OF PRODUCTS AND PROCESS
IMPROVEMENT AND REFLECTION
Research Methodology
TMSI model ▸(Hwang, Kang and Kim, 2016)
Results14
Deconstruction of electronic
appliances and building products in
teams
Results15
“it was interesting to see how others think,even I have never interacted at all with them at school”
Melanie,19 years
Results16
They built products getting ideaswhen talked and collaborated with
others
Students exchanged materials and moved around the classroom
Results17
Miztli, 24 years
“I discovered that an electronic water heater contains sand to conduct the heat throughout the tube”
Results18
“From a computer we don’t use, we can get different ideas to
create something new”
Itzel, 24 years
Results19
“we can make anything… ideas
come when we play with things”
Daniela, 21 years
20 Results
Desk lamp
Key holder
Glasses
Zen Garden
Car
Toy
Conclusions21
01Maker activity is a friendly way to access and learn how to use technology tools and diverse materials while people enjoying reciprocal support.
02In hands-on activities, students can embody their abstract ideas into concrete products.
03It is suggested to diversify maker activities to other fields in education enhancing exploration, inquiring and problem-solving for better learning experiences.
THANK [email protected]