Makerspaces are known for their ability to incite excitement, eagerness and interest in ‘making’ through tinkering, exploring and creating.
The main core of the learning environment enabled by Makerspaces are as follows:
- Network
- Open and collaborative space to make together. Sharing insights, ideas and projects to foster community and connection.
- Project Library
- Allow students and faculty to develop projects according to their unique interests and pursuits
- Learning Lab
- Provide the maker community to constantly learn, discover and access relevant and high-quality content
- Training and Support
- The Makerspace Handbook addresses this perfectly: “How do you run a class in making? Engage students in projects? Create the right learning environment? Mix disciplines? We nurture a vibrant community of practice among Maker-educators with online workshops & hangouts and in-person professional development. These introduce new ideas and projects and provide ongoing feedback and support.” These points will be the guiding
- Tools (Hardware & Software)
- From prototyping to engineering and many more, the expansive and advanced technology we hope to offer will cover the essentials of the Maker movement. These include 3D Printers, Arduino One, Sparkfun Kits, littleBits, MaKey MaKeys, and Cubelets, woodworking, power and sewing tools, just to name a few.
We have researched the many different forms and shapes of Makerspaces in scholarly academic centers, libraries, nonprofits and for profit services in our previous research venture.
This Research Collective will focus specifically on the academic integration of Makerspaces in curricula such as but not limited to STEM, arts and sciences, humanities, and Makerspaces in experimental settings. Documenting the syllabi, courses and resources available to students and faculty in other campuses will help us find the perfect niche for Baruch College’s own Makerspace.
