Making and learning together: Where the makerspace mindset meets platforms for creativity

Abstract

While makerspaces are rightly recognized as places for getting people of all ages together to experiment with materials, technologies, processes, and narratives, they are inevitably limited by physical resources of time, space, and money. The appealingly inclusive concept of a “makerspace mindset”—that is, a worldview that admits the possibility of gathering and collaborating a creative fellowship without borders—can facilitate the goal of a global learning community. To meet that goal, however, new thinking must identify how to equitably direct efforts toward a more expansive and sustainable culture for creating. Articulating how and why the vast array of events, environments, tools, or toys that encourage people to create can promote making and connecting is the first step. This article elaborates on our existing work regarding platforms for creativity to consider those principles the makerspace mindset must manifest to encourage learning for a lifetime. We argue that imagining the makerspace mindset as a key plank in platforms for creativity can inspire the development of more and better ways for us to learn about ourselves and others by making and sharing. Framing the makerspace mindset with platforms for creativity illuminates the potential for making and learning to grow creative, curious individuals who together will form an engaged society of learners at large.

A Systematic Review on FabLab Environments and Creativity: Implications for Design

“…These are seen as a variety of collaborative spaces for experimentation, tinkering, and innovation [32] that complement other educational environments [74]. The availability of various facilities, including shaped spatial architecture and infrastructure, stimulate the innovativeness of the users operating in these makerspaces [9,32,33,91]. It is suggested that rounded versus angular physical work environment is more likely to enhance divergent creativity [90].…”

“…Schmidt described "creative labs" as sites for social innovation that foster individual creativity and learning, leading to creation of knowledge and value [32]. Culpepper and Gauntlett [33] conceived makerspaces as creative settings for generating creativity and curiosity in individuals. An empirical study conducted by Saorin et al [34] in makerspaces concluded that digital editing tools and 3D printers helped in developing the engineering students' creative ability.…”

Makerspaces Fostering Creativity: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Makerspaces are considered an effective tool in the development of creative skills and positively affect users' thinking, ideas, and ability to produce creative solutions in various domains such as art, science, technology, and engineering (Culpepper & Gauntlett, 2020;Dede, 2010;Saorín et al, 2017;Schmidt, 2019;Sheffield et al, 2017). For instance, Schmidt (2019) described makerspaces as "creative labs" and places for social innovation that foster individual creativity and learning, leading to knowledge and value.…”

Adopting educational robotics and coding to open dialogic spaces in lower secondary education

“…This gap might be related to the fact that the first generation of making-based pedagogy focused on technical aspects, while the cultural and social dimensions have been overlooked. As Culpepper and Gauntlett (2020) noted, makerspaces often hold rhetoric of social inclusion but soon turn into "exclusive places," where people unfamiliar with the technology might not feel at ease (see also Vossoughi et al, 2016). The dialogical processes associated with these types of educational activities have not yet been comprehensively examined.…”