02/06/2016

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearchDigitalEducationEducationWeek

EducationWeek'sblogs> DigitalEducation

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearch
By Benjamin Herold on April 11, 2016 9:00 AM

Washington
FewtrendsinK-12edtechareashotorasunder-researchedas"Maker"education.
Thetermgenerallyreferstousingawidevarietyofhands-onactivities(suchasbuilding,computerprogramming,andsewing)tosupport
academiclearningandthedevelopmentofamindsetthatvaluesplayfulnessandexperimentation,growthanditeration,andcollaborationand
community.
Typically,"Making"involvesattemptingtosolveaparticularproblem,creatingaphysicalordigitalartifact,andsharingthatproductwitha
largeraudience.Often,suchworkisguidedbythenotionthatprocessismoreimportantthanresults.
TheMakerMovementhasitsrootsoutsideofschool,ininstitutionssuchassciencemuseumsandintheinformalactivitiesthateveryday
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/04/maker_movement_in_k12_education_research.html?cmp=soctwshr

1/8

02/06/2016

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearchDigitalEducationEducationWeek

peoplehavetakenpartinforgenerations.Itbeganexplodingaboutadecadeago,thanksinlargeparttotheenthusiasticaudienceofMake
magazineandthepopularityofpubliceventssuchasMakerFaires(themostwell-knownofwhichwashostedbyPresidentBarackObama
attheWhiteHousein2014.)Theriseofcheapdigitaltools,includingmicrocontrollerplatformssuchasArduinoandrapid-prototypingtools
suchas3-Dprinters,hasinrecentyearslentthemovementadecidedlytechieflavor.
EffortstobringMakingand"Makerspaces"intoK-12schoolsarestill"nascent,"saidEricaHalverson,anassociateprofessorofcurriculum
andinstructionattheUniversityofWisconsin-MadisonandaleadingresearcherintoMakereducation.
Butthat'schangingfast.
"I'veseenarangeofmodels,fromputtingaMakerspaceintotheschool,toimportingMakerpracticesintoclassrooms,toworkingwithan
externalMakerspacetobuildconnectionsbetweenwhathappensintheclassroomandinspacesoutsideofschool,"Halversonsaidinan
interview.
Whileexciting,thattrendhasbegatanumberofquestionsandtensions,manyofwhicharejustnowbeginningtobeexploredbyresearchers.
Amongthemostsignificant:
Bringing"Making"intoK-12schoolshaspromptedamuchsharperfocusondiversityandequity,whichmanyobserversviewasmuch
neededinamovementthathastendedtofocusontheinterestsandexperiencesofmiddle-classWhitemales.
ManyproponentsfearthattheMakerMovement(oftencharacterizedbyunstructured,voluntaryopportunitiesforcreativityand
exploration)willbedilutedorfundamentallychangedinsideschools(withtheirbellschedules,demandsforequalparticipation,and
test-basedaccountabilityregimes.)
SomefearthecorporatizationofMakereducation,particularlyasschoolsandpolicymakershaveembracedthemovementasawayto
promoteSTEM(science,technology,engineeringandmath)educationandworkforcepreparation.
ThereisgrowinginterestinwhetherMakereducationcanhelpbooststudentlearningoutcomes,includingtestscores.
Butatthesametime,theriseofMakereducationisalsopromptingsomeeducatorstoask,"Whatcountsaslearning?"
Forthoseinterestedinreadingmore,followingisa(non-comprehensive)roundupofninerecentbooks,essays,andresearchstudiesexploring
MakereducationinK-12.ThelistisdrawninpartfromworkpresentedthispastweekendattheannualconferenceoftheAmerican
EducationalResearchAssociation,heldhere.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/04/maker_movement_in_k12_education_research.html?cmp=soctwshr

2/8

02/06/2016

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearchDigitalEducationEducationWeek

1.TheMakerMovementinEducation(EricaR.Halverson,UniversityofWisconsin-Madison,andKimberlyM.Sheridan,GeorgeMason
University,intheHarvardEducationalReview,Winter2014.)
Thisoft-citedessayoffersacontextforanalyzingandunderstandingtheMakerMovement,focusingonthedistinctionsbetweenMaking
(activities),Makerspaces(communitiesofpractice,usuallycenteredaroundaphysicalspace),andMakers(apersonalidentity.)
InadditiontoofferingaconcisehistoryoftheMakerMovement,itsroots,andconcernsandquestionsthathavearisenaroundit,Halverson
andSheridandiscussthetensionsassociatedwithbringingMakingintoschools.
"BringingtheMakerMovementintotheeducationconversationhasthepotentialtotransformhowweunderstand'whatcounts'aslearning,as
alearner,andaslearningenvironment,"theywrite.
Atthesametime,however,"perhapsthegreatestchallengetoembracingtheMakerMovementinK-12schools...istheneedtostandardize
[and]define'whatworks'forlearning."
2.ThePromiseoftheMakerMovementforEducation(LeeMartin,UniversityofCalifornia-Davis,intheJournalofPre-CollegeEngineering
EducationResearch,2015.)
Threeelementsofthemovementarekeytoturning'Making'intoagoodlearningexperience,Martinwrites:Affordabledigitaltoolsthatcan
provideyoungpeoplewithnewwaystointeractwithphysicalmaterials;acommunityinfrastructure(intheformofmeetings,events,and
onlinesocialnetworking)thatcultivatesthesharingofideasandexamples;anda"Makermindset"thatencouragesstudentsto"believethey
canlearntodoanything."
WhenMakereducationishappeningright,Martincontends,itcanhelpstudentsdevelopnotjustcontent-areaexpertise,butalsointerestin
learningandanidentityasalearner.Asyet,though,"empiricalevidencespecificallyaboutmakingislimited,"Martinacknowledges.
3.InventtoLearn:Making,Tinkering,andEngineeringintheClassroom(SylviaMartinezandGaryStager,2013)
TheseminalhandbookforteachersandeducatorswhowanttobringMakerEducationintotheirschoolsandclassrooms.Seethis2014Q&AI
didwiththeauthors.
4.MakingThroughtheLensofCultureandPower:TowardTransformativeVisionsforEducationalEquity(ShirinVossoughi,Northwestern3/8

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/04/maker_movement_in_k12_education_research.html?cmp=soctwshr

02/06/2016

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearchDigitalEducationEducationWeek

4.MakingThroughtheLensofCultureandPower:TowardTransformativeVisionsforEducationalEquity(ShirinVossoughi,Northwestern
UniversityandPaulaHooperandMegEscud,Exploratorium,forthcomingintheSummer2016issueoftheHarvardEducationalReview.)
ThisessaycritiquesprevalentnotionsofMakereducationastoofocusedonwhitemiddle-classmalesandtheirinterests.
Asaresultofthatfocus,theauthorscontend,the"histories,needs,assets,andexperiencesofworking-classstudentsandstudentsofcolor"
aretoooftenignoredanddevaluedinMakereducation,andeffortsaroundequityareoftenfocusedonbringingsuchstudentsintounfamiliar
orunwelcomingspaces,ratherthanchangingthespacesthemselves.
Whatcanbedone?
First,theauthorssay,thoseinvolvedinMakereducationneedtobewillingtotackleeducationalinjustices,suchasensuringthatMakingisnot
limitedtowell-resourcedschools.Second,thenotionofwhatconstituteslegitimateMakeractivitiesneedstobebroadenedtoinclude
community-basedpracticesfrommultiplecultures(thinkmoresewingandcrafting,inadditiontocomputerscienceandrobotics.)Andthird,
Makereducationneedstoincludeaheavyfocusoneffectivepedagogy,includingawillingnesstoavoidfetishizing"self-directedlearning"and
insteadfocusonensuringthatteachersinMakerspacesknowhowtosupportallstudents.
5.ResourcefulandInclusive:TowardsDesignPrinciplesforMakerspaces(KimberlyM.Sheridan,AbigailW.Konopasky,AsiaWilliams,
GraceJ.J.Wingo,GeorgeMasonUniversity,paperpresentedatAERA2016.)
KeytomakinganeffectiveMakerSpacethatworksforallstudents,theauthorswrite,isencouraging"resourcefulness,"ortheabilityof
participantstodrawnotjustontheirowninternalskillsandexperiences,buttheassetsofotherpeopleandtheirsurroundingcommunities.
ThroughcasestudiesattwoverydifferentMakerSpaces(oneacommunity-basedsiteinalow-incomeneighborhoodinDetroit,theothera
digitalgame-designprogramruninpartnershipwiththeiruniversity),theauthorsidentifythreedesignstrategiestheybelievecanmakethis
possible:
Assetmappingandbuildingofcommunitiesofpractice,toidentifypotentialresources.
Building"studioenvironments"thatmixdemonstrationlectures,individualworktime,andcritiquesandexhibitions;allowyouthtoshift
amongdifferentroles;andarewelcomingtobothnovicesandexperts.
Creating"figuredworlds"thatareseparatefromschoolandhomeandallowyouthtodevelopnewidentities.
Whenit'sallworking,theauthorswrite,"eachmember[oftheMakerspace]islookingforopportunitiestosolvetheirownandothers'needs

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/04/maker_movement_in_k12_education_research.html?cmp=soctwshr

4/8

02/06/2016

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearchDigitalEducationEducationWeek

Whenit'sallworking,theauthorswrite,"eachmember[oftheMakerspace]islookingforopportunitiestosolvetheirownandothers'needs
andwants,"whileadultsarefocusedoncreatingnewpossibilitiesforyouthinsidethespaceandnewconnectionsandopportunitiesforyouth
outintheworld.
6.MakingPublics:TheIterativeDesignofHighSchoolMakerspaces(AmyStornaiuoloandPhilNichols,UniversityofPennsylvania,paper
presentedatAERA2016.)
ArelativehandfulofneworredesignedhighschoolsaroundthecountryareorganizingthemselvesaroundtheMakerapproach,includingthe
pseudonymousCollaborativeDesignSchoolthatservedasthecasestudyforthispaper.
Attemptingtointegrate"Making"practicesandphilosophiesintoK-12schoolsinstrugglingurbandistrictscanleadtobigchallenges,the
authorsfound.
Oneofthebiggest:Tryingtoconvincelow-incomestudentsofcolor(toooftenlabeledasfailures)anddistrictadministrators(toooften
obsessedwithlabelingschoolsasfailures)thatfailurecaninfactbeavaluablewaytolearn.
Thecase-studyschool's"emphasisontrialanderror,experimentation,andproductivefailuresatinuneasyalignmenttotheschool's
competency-basedcurriculumandassessmentpractices,"theauthorswrote."Manyofthestudentsexpressedtrepidationoranxietyabout
howtheirparticipationinthe[Makerspace]'counted,'andsomeexpressedreluctancetochangematerialtheyhadworkedhardtocomplete."
Tocounteractthisdynamic,theschool(andresearchers,whoworkedasparticipant-observers)attemptedtoengagethestudentswith
multipleaudiences,throughpresentations,conferences,researchprojects,andthelike.
Theyfoundthatitcanwork"forsomestudents,insomeways,atsometimes."
"Inotherwords,"theauthorswrote,"'Making'shouldnotbeunderstoodasaninherentlyliberatoryortransformativesetofpractices,and
'Makerspaces'shouldnotbepositionedaspanaceasthatcanbeinsertedintoclassroomsasanautonomousfixfor'failing'schoolsand'atrisk'students."
7.ElectronicTextilesasDisruptiveDesigns:SupportingandChallengingMakerActivitiesinSchools(YasminB.KafaiandKristinA.
Searle,UniversityofPennsylvaniaandDeborahA.Fields,UtahStateUniversity,intheHarvardEducationalReview,2014.)
E-textiles"challengecurrentMakingconventions"aswellaspopularconceptionsaboutcomputer-science-relatedteachingandlearning,the

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/04/maker_movement_in_k12_education_research.html?cmp=soctwshr

5/8

02/06/2016

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearchDigitalEducationEducationWeek

authorswrite,becausetheyincorporate"soft"materialsandpractices,suchassewing,thatareoftenassociatedwithfemininity.
Throughobservingaseriesofmakingworkshopsforhighschoolstudents,theyconcludethatworkingwithe-textilescanhaveanumberof
benefits,includingmakingthebasicsofhowtechnologyworksmoretransparenttostudents;valuingaestheticsasawayofsupportingstudent
engagementandlearning;andchallengingstudents'preconceivednotionsaboutwhogetstoworkwithcomputers.
8.SewingElectronicsinScienceClass:ImprovingStudentInterestinScience(JiangyueGu,ColbyTofel-Grehl,DeborahA.Fields,
ChongningSun,CathyMaahs-Fladung,UtahStateUniversity.PaperpresentedatAERA2016).
Theresearchersbehindthisstudyemployedaquasi-experimentaldesigninwhich8th gradersinaruralmiddleschoolwereassignedtooneof
twoscience-classunitsoncircuitry.Bothoftheunitsweretaughtbythesameteacher,butonewastaughtusingtraditionalmethodsand
materials,andtheotherwastaughtusinge-textiles.
Theresearchersfoundthatacademicperformancebetweenthegroupswasthesame,butthestudentswhotookpartinthee-textilesunit
(whichinvolvedsewingandhands-onMakingactivitiesfocusedaroundprojectsthestudentsgottochoosethemselves)showedincreased
interestinscienceandreportedreceivingincreasedencouragementtopursuesciencefromtheirfriends,families,andteachers.
ThosechangedattitudescanbeparticularlyimportantinhelpingmiddleschoolersfromgroupsthataretraditionallyunderrepresentedinSTEM
pursuerelatedacademicprograms,theauthorsbelieve.
"Becausestudentscouldembodytheirpersonalinterestsintheire-textileprojects,theymighthavebeenmoreinterestedinsharingtheir
projectswithfamilyandfriends,providingacontextforpotentialchangeinthewaysthoseviewersperceivedandidentifiedthemwithscience
inpositiveways,"theywrote.
9."SpillYourIdeasWithNoJudgment":ExploringHowa'Judgment-Free'YouthCommunityMakerspaceSupportsAfrican-American
Girls'EngagementandIdentityWorkasCommunityMakersandEngineers"(EdnaTanandFaithBrownFreeman,UniversityofNorth
Carolina,Greensboro.PaperpresentedatAERA2016).
ResearchershavetendedtofocusonwhymanyAfrican-Americangirlsdon'tidentifyasscientistsandoftenendupexcludedfromhigher-level
sciencecourses,identifyingfactorsrangingfromdisparagingassumptionsandstereotypesheldbytheirteacherstolowexpectationsfrom
theirguidancecounselors.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/04/maker_movement_in_k12_education_research.html?cmp=soctwshr

6/8

02/06/2016

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearchDigitalEducationEducationWeek

What'sneedednow,TanandBrownFreemancontend,aresolutions.Andthestartingpointforthatis"judgment-free"spacesthat
"intentionally,mindfully,andconsistentlyseektopositionAfrican-Americangirls...ascapableyouthMakers."
Theauthorsarguethathappensthroughthefollowingstrategies:
Maker-relatedopportunitieswithnoimposedselectioncriteria(suchasminimumgradesoranapplication.)
Physicalspaceswherethegirlshaveexperiencedapriorsenseofbelonging.
Freedomtochoosetheirownprojectsandpartners.
Accesstopowertools,laptops,computingdevices,anddigitalhardware.
Opportunitiesfor"distributedexpertise,"inwhichthegirlsareallowedandencouragedtotakeonmultiplerolesandhelpeachother.
Photo:AbdullahHaseeb,4,workswith"circuitblocks"intheMakeShopatthePittsburghChildren'sMuseum.--JeffSwensenforEducationWeekFile

Seealso:
WhatExactlyIstheMakerMovement?
MakerEducationisAboutMoreThan3-DPrinters
WhiteHouseHostsItsFirstMakerFaire
Popular'MakerMovement'IncompatibleWithCommonCore,AuthorsContend

Follow@BenjaminBHerold

Follow@EdWeekEdTech

forthelatestnewsoned-techpolicies,practices,andtrends.

Categories: ComputerScience Librarian MakerEducation Research/Reports STEM Education

Tags: AERA16 edtech EdWeekExplains makereducation makerspaces makers research

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/04/maker_movement_in_k12_education_research.html?cmp=soctwshr

7/8

02/06/2016

TheMakerMovementinK12Education:AGuidetoEmergingResearchDigitalEducationEducationWeek

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2016/04/maker_movement_in_k12_education_research.html?cmp=soctwshr

8/8