ART & TECH BLOG 13

Keywords: DIY Makerspace, STEM/STEAM, Education

• What is a makerspace?

• A makerspace is a collaborative workspace inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for creating, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools. It's a place where people can gather to invent, learn, and create.
  

• Why is a DIY makerspace at odds with the educational discipline based organizational structure?

• A DIY (Do-It-Yourself) makerspace is often at odds with traditional educational discipline-based organizational structures because of its emphasis on self-directed, exploratory learning. This contrasts with the structured and rigid curriculum typically found in discipline-based education. Makerspaces encourage creativity, experimentation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, which can be seen as challenging to traditional educational hierarchies and boundaries.
  

• Why do you think that the process of trial and error is important in makerspaces? Or if not, why not?

• The process of trial and error is crucial in makerspaces because it fuels innovation and learning. It allows individuals to test their ideas, learn from their mistakes, and iteratively improve their designs. This process fosters creativity, resilience, and problem-solving skills, all of which are essential for innovation and development.
  

• What role did the artist examples play in the study?

• Individuals working in makerspaces can learn much from artists who have been working in and between the fields of science, math, technology, and art. Just as scientists and mathematicians must be keenly aware of the research that has preceded them, so too are artists who are influences by past practices and current trends.
  

• What are the marketing and branding implications that Sweeney is concerned about in regards to makerspaces and STEM/STEAM initiatives?

• These marketing and branding implications are directly related with business and commerce which impact makers paces. The original driving force may be more economic driven instead of educational purposes.