LIS-S 530 Makerspaces as Learning Environments
3 credits
- Prerequisite(s): LIS-S 500, LIS-S 507
- Delivery: Online
- Semesters offered: Spring (Check the schedule to confirm.)
Description
The Maker Movement is increasingly drawing excitement from libraries as it provides resources (i.e., making toolkits, fabrication tools) and facilitation (i.e., mentors, peers, experts) that promote inquiry-driven learning and community engagement. This course surveys the historical roots of makerspace and the current landscape of digital and physical making toolkits with hands-on experience to consider how the practices of the maker movement can be implemented in your personal or professional information institution. This class is designed to serve as an introduction to the ethos and the culture of the maker movement with the hope that you may be motivated to continue the design and development of maker programming in your own field.
Program Learning Goals Supported
Instructors map their courses to specific LIS Program Goals. Mapped program goals drive the design of each course and what students can expect to generally learn.
- Connect Core Values and Professional Ethics to Practice
- Facilitate Engagement in the Information Ecosystem
- Innovate Professional Practice with Information Services and Technology
Learning Outcomes
Instructors develop learning outcomes for their courses. Students can expect to be able to achieve the learning outcomes for a given course after successfully completing the course.
- Analyze the historical roots of makerspace and constructionist learning.
- Use and analyze the current landscape of digital and physical making toolkits.
- Analyze and evaluate the learning practices and facilitation around different making toolkit(s) and activities.
- Analyze and evaluate the potential and the challenges of implementing making toolkits and activities to promote inquiry-driven learning and community engagement.
- Create a makerspace-related learning environment targeted at your information institution.
- Evaluate and re-iterate the design of your makerspace learning environment to promote inquiry-driven learning and community engagement.
Course Overview
Instruction is in Canvas. Lessons are organized into Modules whose length may vary.
Unit 1: Making and Learning
Module 1: The Maker Movement and the Maker Mindset
- Understand and describe the historical roots of makerspace
- Describe and analyze the definition of making and the maker mindset
Module 2: How People Learn in Making
- Understand and describe constructionist learning theory and connected learning framework
- Analyze and defend your understanding on the relationship between making and learning
Unit 2: Making Toolkits and Activities
Module 3: Digital Toolkits
- Explore and use digital toolkits
- Analyze and evaluate the learning practices and facilitation around different digital toolkit(s)
Module 4-5: Physical Toolkits 9
- Explore and use physical toolkits
- Analyze and evaluate the learning practices and facilitation around different physical toolkit(s)
- Analyze and evaluate the potential and the challenges of various making toolkits and activities
Module 6-7: Tangible Design and Physical Computing
- Explore, use, and analyze tangible design and physical computing through LilyPad Arduino
Unit 3: Makerspaces in Information Institutions
Module 8: Makerspaces in Libraries, Museums, Communities, and Formal Learning Settings
- Explore, evaluate, and analyze how making toolkits and activities are implemented in makerspaces in three different settings
- Discuss and envision the future of library and librarianship, and the role of makerspaces in the context of library
Module 9: Equity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility
- Analyze and evaluate making as a practice that promotes democratization and impacts accessibility and inclusivity
Module 10: Makerspace Facilitator Interview
- Explore competencies and skills required for information professionals in makerspaces
- Identify and assess your development of understanding on the relationship between making and learning
Unit 4: Designing for Makerspace Experiences
Module 11-12: Problem Statement and Ideation
- Analyze your target user group using design methodologies
- Use a design statement and ideation to create a makerspace-related learning environment
Module 13: Design Evaluation
- Use design evaluation method (peer feedback) to evaluate and iterate your makerspace-related learning environment
- Provide critical feedback to your peers to iterate and improve their makerspace-related learning environments
Module 14: Final Presentation of Your Makerspace
- Design your makerspace learning environment to promote inquiry-driven learning and community engagement for your target group
- Provide peer critique to iterate and improve makerspace learning environments
Policies and Procedures
Please be aware of the following linked policies and procedures. Note that in individual courses instructors will have stipulations specific to their course.