Results of Integrating a Maker Space into a First-Year Engineering Course

Abstract

Engineering and Applied Science Education department. She previously specialized in service learning while teaching at the Arizona State University in the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program. Her current teaching and research interests are in developing study skills and identity in first-year engineering students and improving retention rates. She acts as the faculty liaison for the University of New Haven Makerspace and facilitates student and faculty training. She received her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and her BSEE from the University of Miami.

Development of Student Comfort with Various Fabrication Methods in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Design Curriculum

“…confidence, motivation) were seen to be higher in students that voluntarily used the universities' makerspace than in students that did not [24]. When this information is coupled with another study showing that early involvement with makerspaces in a classroom setting led to a greater likelihood of students using the makerspace outside of class [18], it indicates that the incorporation of makerspaces early on in engineering curricula may bring a number of quantitative and qualitative benefits to students' learning experiences.…”

“…In an analysis of training for technical procedures in the medical field, Clanton et al [17] have proposed that the incorporation of practica contributes to a positive feedback loop of content engagement: hands-on training increases student confidence, which increases their likelihood/willingness to use these skills, providing further practice, and further increasing confidence. Similar dynamics may hold in engineering, as a study by Gillespie and Nossoni [18] indicated that introducing students to fabrication methods and resources in a college "makerspace" increased their likelihood of visiting the makerspace for extracurricular reasons. These practical experiences of specific technical processes can thus be seen to provide potential mastery experiences that strongly contribute to the development of self-efficacy.…”

“…These spaces bring together tools and technologies to facilitate the fabrication and development of products. Typically, these resources are associated with rapid prototyping processes, such as 3D printers, water-jet/laser cutters, and hand/power tools [18]. By collecting these resources in one location, makerspaces increase the ease of access to these resources, but also importantly provide a space for collaborative learning and exchange of ideas [21].…”

“…By collecting these resources in one location, makerspaces increase the ease of access to these resources, but also importantly provide a space for collaborative learning and exchange of ideas [21]. These factors make makerspaces particularly well-suited for providing active learning opportunities in engineering, and indeed, the use and effects of makerspaces in engineering education have been explored in a number of studies [18], [22], [23], [24].…”