Makerbox: Introducing a low threshold maker experience for everyone – An online facilitation platform for problem based projects
Year: 2017
Editor: Anja Maier, Stanko Škec, Harrison Kim, Michael Kokkolaras, Josef Oehmen, Georges Fadel, Filippo Salustri, Mike Van der Loos
Author: Slåttsveen, Kristoffer; Nygaard, Truls; Seviour, Georgina; Steinert, Martin; Aasland, Knut Einar
Series: ICED
Institution: 1: Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway; 2: University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Section: Design Education
Page(s): 159-168
ISBN: 978-1-904670-97-1
ISSN: 2220-4342
Abstract
This paper presents an online facilitation platform for project based education workshops, where the task formulations and solution methodology is based on engineering design methods. As design engineers, we are trained to see failure as lesson for future improvement and learn to identify the underlying cause for a problem. We want to contribute to the educational system, and expose children to design and decision-making problems before they reach college. We are also inspired by the maker communities around the world, and the great work they do towards inspiring and educating the engineers and designers of tomorrow. Most of the learning activities this community offers, is however based on step-by-step tutorials. In addition to the skills such projects train, we would like to add an element of ill-structured problems. The need for this perspective has been confirmed by teachers and maker-associations in our community. As a result, we present the Makerbox, an online facilitation platform for project based workshops. Usable by teachers and other engaged organisers. The paper also presents and discusses results from pilot tests exploring how the projects should be presented.
Keywords: Design education, Education, Social responsibility, Creative confidence, Problem based