Running head: MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKERSPACE

Making the Case for Makerspace

Lindsey L. Beam
University of South Carolina Graduate Admissions

MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKERSPACE

Making the Case for Makerspace

If you can imagine it, you can make it (Makerspace Playbook, 2013) is the fundamental
holding of the Maker movement. Makerspaces are popping up in communities and schools all
over the world in the pursuit of helping each other do better, think outside the box, embrace a
messy, failure prone practice and ultimately celebrate not only product, but process (Makerspace
Playbook, 2013).
The makerspace is a place for innovation, crafting, tinkering, designing and sharing.
These places take on many forms based on the needs of the Makers, but all share the belief that
an invitation to play is highly satisfying and must be shared (Makerspace Playbook, 2013).
These spaces can be created by renovating existing space for better utilization, designating
times/days that a space is used for making, creating mobile makerspaces that go where the
Makers are or any other iteration that provides adequate space and supplies to enable making.
The design of these environments challenge makers, inspire them and promote the sharing of
ideas and collaboration (Makerspace Playbook, 2013).
Makerspaces and making are a result of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM) initiatives across the United States school systems. In many ways, making is a pushback
against traditional schools implementation of STEM education. Angevine and Weisgrau suggest
that proponents of makerspaces must demonstrate that creating sharable artifacts is a
compelling way to learn anything in order to gain the most buy-in from schools and
communities (Situating Makerspaces, 2015).
Recently there has been a surge in research on makerspaces and their impact on
education. Davee, Regalla and Chang (2013) identify in their review of literature that one
common sentiment is that makerspaces are most successful when they emphasize

MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKERSPACE

collaboration. Facilitating these social connections improves students communication skills, an

invaluable asset to both academia and the working world. Research also suggests that the
community benefits economically due to the ability of makerspace to play vital roles in job
development and entrepreneurialism (Davee, Regalla and Chang, 2013). There is also a sense of
cultural awareness and an emphasis on equity that is developed as a result of the design and
implementation of makerspace, as students are empowered to create and develop cognitive and
technical skills (Davee, Regalla and Chang, 2013).
Makerspaces, by nature, cannot exist in isolation. Rather, a makerspace is fundamentally
collaborative and, by extension, interdisciplinary. Davee, Regalla and Chang (2013) argue that
recent research shows that the use of makerspaces in education can shift conversation about what
defines learning and how that learning is measured. Creating this larger net for learning not only
benefits students, but also extends space for teachers to experiment with both instructional
practice and assessment. This type of encouragement fosters collaboration across disciplines, a
physical mash-up (Davee, Regalla, and Chang, 2013) blending arts and humanities with math
and science all while building a valuable set of character traits collectively known as grit.
Grit is widely understood to mean the ability to stay committed to a task when it is
difficult, to try various approaches to solving a problem, to seek out alternative solutions and
generally work hard until a task is accomplished or goal is met. Employers who are critical of
recent college graduates and millennials in general often cite an absence of these grit traits as a
reason for the lack of ability to acquire and maintain employment. Those who experience
makerspace, on the other hand, develop creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, persistence,
social responsibility and a sense of teamwork through the problem solving and critical thinking
challenges presented by making (Makerspace Playbook, 2013).

MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKERSPACE

It stands to reason, then, that grit is closely related to the Maker Mindset - a growth
mindset that encourages the belief that anything can be learned. The Makerspace Playbook cites
Carol Dwecks work on growth mindset showing that the experiences of risk-taking and failing
are key to developing tolerance within the creative process. Those who hold this mindset are
better able to adapt to and contribute to a world that is constantly changing (Makerspace
Playbook, 2013).
The Maker Mindset hinges on one question: what can you do with what you know?.
Mark Hatch writes in The Maker Movement Manifesto (2014) that making is fundamental to
what it means to be human (p. 11). And that the process of making is a type of self-expression
that has been dormant due to the rise in technology and life in a more virtual realm. To illustrate,
Hatch suggests that a fact is not owned until it is experienced. Hot is a pretty abstract concept
until youve burned yourself he writes (Hatch, 2014, p. 20). Until a fact or concept has been
realized it cannot be known. Making, then encourages participants to truly experience learning
by doing rather than through memorization.
A writer at 360 Magazine (Making the Way, 2015) speculates that the impact of
makerspaces and making is not known at this time, but is in a place where it is informing new
perspectives as well as reinforcing already-trending tenets of active learning. Additionally, with
the increased sophistication of the machinery in makerspaces comes, as 360 states, a more
sophisticated curricular intent (Making the Way, 2015). Making is not to be viewed as
synonymous with wood shops and other industrial or vocational spaces known to generations
past. Rather, the maker movement is about empowerment and getting students to see that they
can affect change in the world (Making the Way, 2015). The focus on active learning is not new,

MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKERSPACE

but is being supplemented by generative processes that lead to the creation of objects, systems
and even ideas (Making the Way, 2015). Innovation is at the heart of the maker movement.
Developing the mindset for making is critical to the success of a new or existing
makerspace; however, there are some elements of design that prove to create a space more
conducive to making. In Learning Spaces, Lori Gee writes that human centered design
guidelines build on the premise that learning happens in many ways and design lends itself to
possibilities supporting learning [that are] equally numerous (2006). Because each brain is
uniquely organized, learning spaces must also offer a variety of ways for instruction to be given
and received. Like maker concepts, the space itself should be fluid, allowing for adaptation and
response throughout the design/creation processes. Gee also supports giving attention to lighting,
color, texture and other sensory elements in order to boost creativity within the learning space
(2006).
Makerspaces have caught the attention of the White House. President Obama hosted the
first White House Maker Faire in 2014, and the White House celebrated the National Week of
Making in June of 2015, coinciding with the 2015 National Maker Faire (A Nation of Makers,
2015). The White House website details the Presidents interest in making as empowering
students and adults to create, innovate, tinker and make their ideas and solutions into reality (A
Nation of Makers, 2015). President Obama also supported the Mayors Maker Challenge, where
over 100 mayors signed on to advance or initiate making in their communities. The recognition
of making on the national stage suggests that leaders see its potential to move communities
forward while harnessing the latest technologies.
Implementing a makerspace generates a great amount of excitement among those
involved in its design, construction and opening. Putting a strong team from various backgrounds

MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKERSPACE

and experiences is crucial to developing a space that speaks to learners of all kinds. Parker
Thomas writes for Make: Magazine that there are three key qualities to a successful makerspace
in any school process, people and place. Process teaches maker students how to not only use
physical tools but how to think critically about a problem and determine which tools, physical
and mental, are best suited for the task. People is the presence of skilled maker instructors or
experts in industry. Most importantly these people are passionate about making and about
sharing their expertise with others. Finally, place is crucial in determining the amount of access
available in terms of logistics, power supply, safety regulations, etc. No makerspace can thrive
without the presence of these three elements (Thomas, 2013).
Makerspaces are the next generation of hands-on skill development and benefit students
of all skill levels and abilities. It is an equalizer for those without access to resources outside the
school walls. Makerspaces can build community around a common goal of improving the world
by innovating, tinkering and sharing. The purpose of making is to see the world through a critical
lens and approach it as a challenge that can be overcome through innovation to the benefit of the
community and society at large.

MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKERSPACE

References

A Nation of Makers. (n.d.). Retrieved May 03, 2016, from

http://www.whitehouse.gov/nation-of-makers

Angevine, C., & Weisgrau, J. (2015). Situating Makerspaces in Schools.Hybrid Pedagogy.

Retrieved from www.digitalpedagogy.com/hybridped/situating-makerspaces-in-schools.

Davee, S., Regalla, L., & Chang, S. (2015). Makerspaces: Highlights of select literature. Maker
Ed. Retrieved from
http://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Makerspace-Lit-Review-5B.pdf

Gee, L. (2006). Chapter 10: Human Centered Design Guidelines. In D. G. Oblinger (Ed.),
Learning Spaces. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/research-andpublications/books/learning-spaces/chapter-10-human-centered-design-guidelines

MAKING THE CASE FOR MAKERSPACE

Hatch, M. (2014). The maker movement manifesto: Rules for innovation in the new world of
crafters, hackers, and tinkerers. New York: McGraw Hill Education.

Makerspace playbook school edition. (2013). Retrieved from

http://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Makerspace-Playbook-Feb-2013.pdf

Making Way for Making in Education. (2015, January 5). 360 Magazine. Retrieved from
https://www.steelcase.com/insights/articles/making-way-making-education/

Thomas, P. (2013). 3 Key Qualities for a School Makerspace | Make: DIY Projects and Ideas
for Makers. Retrieved from http://makezine.com/2013/08/11/key-qualities-for-a-schoolmakerspace/