Establishing a maker culture beyond the makerspace

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of fostering a maker culture in a liberal arts university. It explores the impact of making on student learning and engagement, as well as the role of the library’s maker program. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a case study that presents the tools and activities used in an academic library’s maker program. Structured interviews were conducted with faculty, staff and students to review the program and maker culture influence on campus. Findings Findings highlight the library’s role in supporting maker culture on a liberal arts campus and address ways making contributes to student engagement and learning. Interviewees also recommend strategies to increase awareness and market the library’s maker program to engage a wider community. Originality/value Though there are many articles written about the maker movement and libraries, this study contributes to the growing body of research on makerspaces in higher education, with particular focus on a library at a liberal arts university.

Are Librarians Ready for Space Transformation? A Systematic Review of Spatial Literacy for Librarians

“…Further documentation of the literature on research using spatial method reveals that the majority of studies currently remain in descriptive question studies (29), such as preliminary studies on the status of space use and space utilization; studies on relational questions (4) focus on the relationship between space construction and service quality and service innovation [68,69], and the relationship between space services and user perception and user education [70,71]. Studies on causality issues (6) studied factors influencing readers' willingness to use the space [47,72,73], the impact of library space on students' learning behavior, information behavior [74,75], the impact of library space on campus culture [76], etc. From the current situation, librarians need to introduce more advanced and effective spatial research methods to explore more deeply the characteristics of readers' experiences, the social group relations of readers and the social role of library space.…”

Enhancing Educators’ Cultural and Digital Literacies through Makerspace Development Activities

“…The La Frontera project outcomes would assist in addressing a gap in literature investigating how to establish a STEM culture through faculty development beyond grant funding. Beavers et al [13] project leveraged 3D printing in a library to first engage and create interest in fabrication programs. STEM faculty previously viewed the library as an independent unit or place, disconnected from academic programs.…”

Building Students' Literate Agency through Makerspace Activities in a Two-Year College

“…Furthermore, teachers in institutions that are not yet equipped with on-campus makerspace facilities can still consider integrating this assignment by thinking of other places such as libraries or laboratories for alternative maker programs. Those programs could include any initiatives such as special interest groups on making, faculty committees for the maker movement, and student-led maker fairs in which student participants can communicate their ideas and access tools in whatever limited ways (see Beavers et al, 2019). Lastly, as remote learning becomes more prevalent in higher education in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, makerspace-based assignments can be further developed through mobile virtual workshops in which students can prompt 6.1 (2022) | Lee, Building Students' Literate Agency Through Makerspace Activities experiment with digital designs such as 3D modeling and 2D vector designs.…”