Benefits and challenges of transforming high school makerspaces into working hubs for the maker community

Abstract

This study examines the benefits and challenges of creating partnerships between schools and its local maker community. Makerspaces are dedicated facilities for individuals to create products with specialised tools, which vary greatly in different spaces. This paper focuses on makerspaces with technologies that facilitate fabrication. Based on interviews, we describe the benefits and challenges of makerspace-high school partnerships and the potential partnership between makerspace and tech schools. In high schools, makerspaces provide students with equipment to discover problems, explore ideas and gain self-confidence. In the community, makerspaces provide patrons opportunities to develop making skills, collaborate, generate new economic activity, and build community. Despite having similar objectives, the needs of high school makerspaces and public makerspaces are vastly different. Hence, school-makerspace partnership attempts in Victoria, Australia have often been difficult to implement and more importantly, sustain.

Keywords: maker community, school partnerships, makerspaces, tech school

Authors' bios

Linus Tan

PhD Candidate
Swinburne University of Technology

Linus Tan researches design and management strategies that enhance collaborations, to help architects work effectively as a team and with different stakeholders. His experience includes managing service operations in a digital fabrication laboratory and coordinating operations in an air force squadron. He is a Master of Architecture graduate from the University of Melbourne and is currently completing his PhD degree at Swinburne University of Technology.

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Ravi Bessabava

Design Technical Officer
Swinburne University of Technology

Ravi is a design technical officer in Swinburne University of Technology's Protolab where he coaches architecture, industrial design and product design engineering students in the areas of design, fabrication and advanced manufacturing. His skill sets allow him to work fluidly across multiple disciplines at multiple scales, while his passion for sharing knowledge particularly around digital to physical workflows, geometry rationalisation, design thinking and manufacturing. He holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Melbourne.

Kristen Hebden

PhD Candidate
Swinburne University of Technology

Kristen is currently researching makerspaces in high schools, with a focus on the impact they have on students' self-concept. She has experience running a high school makerspace, as well as teaching STEM, maths and physics at a range of schools. Her previous careers as a science communicator, and as an engineer, have given her an appreciation of the need to increase diversity in STEM fields, and an indication to the barriers stopping it. Kristen is currently working on her PhD degree at Swinburne University of Technology.