It’s More Than Just Making: Insights into Facilitating Learning Through Making

Abstract

Makerspaces are a rapidly growing trend in education. Schools are incorporating makerspaces to provide students with experiential learning opportunities to be designers, innovators and makers. Attention must be given not only to the creation of such spaces but also, and more important, how to incorporate such activities in an environment that fosters deep learning. In this article, a team of researchers share their lived experience of implementing makerspace activities with students in a school of education. From reflecting on our experience designing and facilitating learning through making, we have identified three lessons learned: designing challenging learning tasks is not easy; facilitating learning through making is a delicate dance; and changing our dispositions through making changes our practice. Learning in makerspace environments is as challenging for teachers as it is for their students because it connects the development of iterative design provocations and a mindset that embraces failure.