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Makerspaces (What is it? (Is a physical location where people
gather to…
Makerspaces
What is it?
Is a physical location where people
gather to share resources and knowledge, work on projects, network, and build.
- Makerspaces provide tools and space in a community environment.
- Sometimes referred to as a hackerspace, is often associated with fields such as engineering, computer science, and graphic design.
- The concept emerges from the technology-driven “maker culture” .
- This idea of a collaborative studio space for creative endeavors has caught hold in education, where the informal combination of lab, shop, and conference room form a compelling argument for learning through hands-on exploration.
- On campus, is being embraced by the arts as well as the sciences, and a new energy is building around multidisciplinary collaborative efforts.
How does it work?
Makerspaces owe a considerable debt to the hacker culture that inspired them, and many are still primarily places
for technological experimentation, hardware development, and idea prototyping.
- Makerspaces are often open for informal, unscheduled activity; in some cases, an organization will host scheduled classes in a makerspace.
- These classes are generally not for credit and focus on a single skill, such as coding, soldering, or woodcarving.
- Supplies such as cardboard, plastic, metal, gears, wood, and batteries may be on hand, and available tools may include anything from a welding machine to a laser cutter.
- Certain materials and tools are emblematic, such as micro controllers called arduinos and 3D printers, valuable for fast prototyping.
- Some places have acquired other accouterments, from paints and easels and impromptu stage sets to cook-tops and candy molds.
- Used by students, faculty, and staff, makerspaces have become arenas for informal, project-driven, self-directed learning, providing workspace to tinker, try out solutions, and hear input from colleagues with similar interests.
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What are the downsides?
Space in learning facilities is often at a premium,
and cost is a consideration in setting up an area for making.
- High-end 3D printers that print with a variety of media can be expensive. Smaller, more affordable 3D printers generally create only small items, often from a single medium in only one color.
- Equipment such as milling machines, welding equipment, lathes, 3D printers, and laser cutters may be in high demand, which can result in long wait times for students trying to use these facilities. Some of these machines can be dangerous, too, raising liability issues.
- Finally, much of the value of a makerspace lies in its informal character and its appeal to the spirit of invention, and some of this advantage can be negated if well-meaning faculty choreograph student activity to a degree that squelches experimentation.
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Where is it going?
- One key demand of a makerspace is that it exist as a physical location where participants have room and opportunity for hands-on work, but as these environments evolve, we may see more virtual participation.
- Video may invite input from remote experts, and teleoperation may enable manipulation of machinery from afar.
- As makerspaces have become more common on campuses and have found their place in public libraries and community centers, their influence has spread to other disciplines and may one day be embraced across the curriculum.
- Eventually makerspaces may become linked from campus to campus, encouraging joint project collaboration.
- Students who use these studios to create tangible portfolio pieces may find their work of interest to future employers.
- As education assessment evolves, the project work done in makerspaces may one day be accepted and reviewed for college credit in lieu of more conventional coursework.