Making Change through University Maker Spaces Keywords: maker space, retention, creativity, innovation, design cognition, design thinking Making Change through University Maker Spaces Julie Linsey Georgia Institute of Technology

What is a Maker Space? Makerspaces are places, where users have access to manufacturing tools and machines to build physical prototypes and objects. (Weinmann, 2014) Creates informal learning Allows for hands-on building, testing and learning

Goals Enhance engineering creativity, invention, and innovation Increase commitment to engineering Improve Life-long learning skills Increase retention Increase gender diversity Increase design confidence

Why University Maker Spaces Might Work? Supplements the traditional curriculum with non-linear, open-ended, student-driven projects that require hands-on designing, prototyping, modeling, and testing Creative fields appeal to students Engages students

Georgia Tech’s Maker Spaces Fundamentally different flavor than other hands-on based or design and build approaches Appears to be a perfect storm of smaller changes that ignite into a flame of change New technology has low learning curve for many machines Student-led and run Informal Learning and Development of Life-long Learning Skills. Georgia Tech’s Invention Studio likely forms a community of practice that is engaging and developing the students as engineers. Elements of enjoyment and play: The motto on one of the Invention Studio tee-shirts is “Design, Build, Play”. There is a strong element of play, passion, and fun within the Invention Studio environment.

Challenges in Maker Spaces Welcoming a diverse group of student. Preliminary data indicates students, especially women, are very apprehensive Empirical evidence of its effectiveness or lack thereof, must be obtained Best practices Example Hypothesized Best Practice- Glass doors and walls are more inviting, encouraging students to enter Current Project Collaborators: Dr. Robert Nagel- James Madison University, Dr. Kimberly Talley, Dr. Araceli Ortiz, Dr. Shaunna Smith- Texas State University, San Marcos, Bryan Levy, Ricardo Morocz, Dr. Wendy Newstetter, Dr. Craig Forest- Georgia Tech