Harry Han, Xiaoqi Zhou
Intro of Design
What we designed: reimagining and creating a series of workshops taking place in the Makerspace, including designing materials, lesson plans, and guidance for engagement and deliverables.
The goal is
1) to bring up people’s enthusiasm in making something with their hands, regardless of their prior experiences with design and fabrication,
2) by using experiential learning methods, teach people basic skills of fabrication like digital designing, and usage of DIY machinery, like laser cutter, button maker, sewing machine, etc.
What it helps us understand about learning design:
1. materiality is an important element to consider when designing learning experiences.
2. Play is learning. Experiential learning is an effective way of learning.
Rationale of Playing
- Leveraging Diversity: The varied backgrounds of students are a strength, allowing for a rich, multi-perspective learning environment where each student’s unique talents and interests are valued.
- Application through Play: Integrating learned skills with personal interests in a playful setting makes learning more engaging and relevant, leading to deeper understanding and retention.
- Tinkering as Exploration: This method simulates real-world scenarios where solutions are not always straightforward, encouraging students to experiment and learn from trial and error.
- Creativity and Flexibility: Playful learning environments like Tinkering foster creative thinking and adaptability, skills crucial in the rapidly changing modern world.
- Dynamic Support in Learning: Continual reassessment of goals and methods in response to student needs ensures that learning remains relevant, effective, and engaging.
Sample Workshop and Rationale of Changes
Following are 2 types of workshops we designed/redesigned to incorporate ‘play’ and experimental learning into the Makerspace experience:
Workshop1: Laser Cutting (October 19, 2023)
Keywords: Instructional Innovation, Project-Based, Skill Acquisition
Process:
- Teaching how to operate the laser cutting system.
- Helping learners understand the function of a laser cutter and the procedures for operating it.
Changes:
- Moving away from a passive learning approach previously used at Makerspace, this workshop uses a project-based method to teach skills. For instance, after learning laser cutting skills, each participant designs and creates their own bookmark on the spot.
- The learning atmosphere is shifted from a serious tone to a more relaxed and enjoyable one. During instructor demonstrations, there is interaction with students, and AI Tutors are incorporated to assist students during their hands-on activities, offering multiple solutions when they encounter doubts.
Workshop2: Cardboard Workshop (November 10, 2023)
Keywords: Play, Tinkering, Creativity, Exploration
Process:
- Based on acquired skills, participants use Makerspace equipment for Play Learning exploration, integrating personal interests.
- For children, the process includes:
- Using the Makerspace’s laser cutting to reshape cardboard.
- Providing children with cardboard materials and allowing them to explore freely without a predefined outcome. They can design based on their imagination (using various tools and materials).
- Educators pose guiding questions to facilitate learning during the play process.
Changes:
- Transition from formal to informal learning, where students can explore based on their interests.
- Educators no longer use fixed assessment methods for outcomes. Instead, they employ dynamic assessments, focusing more on process orientation.
Summary
Both workshops demonstrate a shift towards a more interactive, hands-on, and exploratory learning environment. Workshop1 focuses on skill acquisition through project-based activities, while Workshop2 emphasizes free exploration and creativity, particularly for younger learners. This approach is aimed at making learning at Makerspace more engaging, relevant, and enjoyable.
