Making and the Maker Movement

Lee Martin – LHS Panel

Study of Maker ClubsCase study group

Group make up

Primary adult involvement

Project structure; Focal technologies

Family-based

2 girls (sisters)

2 parent-mentors Individual projects; Crafts, mechanics, sculpture

School-based

2 girls, 3 boys

1 teacher-mentor Group project; mechanics

Club-based 1

5 boys 1 parent-mentors, 2 non-parent mentors

Group project; mechanics & electronics

Club-based 2

8 boys 1 parent-mentor, 1 non-parent mentor

Individual projects; mechanics, electronics, 3d Printing

1. Observation of case study group during work sessions, at regional meet-ups, and at big regional exposition (4 months)

2. Interview with case study participants (early in ‘season’ and afterward) and with mentors and parents (afterward)

3. Survey of all participants in the region early in the season (75 respondents)

Central Questions How do we help youth become flexible,

adaptive thinkers? How do we foster curiosity, persistence, and

ability to learn in novel contexts?

Does making provide a context for the development of adaptive expertise?

Ongoing analysis How do youth respond when they get “stuck”

Individual and group-level adaptations Distributed nature of persistence

How do youth see themselves as makers, designers, etc. Many see making as a cross-contextual disposition Youth identities are dynamic Making often competes with school activities

How to assess learning through making?

Looking Forward – NSF CAREER Award1. Alternate focus between out-of-school and in-

school Years 1 & 3: Out of school Years 2 & 4: In school

2. Build a mobile maker studio Take maker tools to underserved schools and students

3. Build cognitive tools to support making and design and engineering practices, e.g.:

Scaffolds to support ideation, project reflection Device to automate photo documentation, support

reflection