Maker Lab 1: Design Lab

Introduction

Keywords: art, aesthetics, politics, creativity, design, STEAM, maker education, geography, collage, micro:bit, raspberry pi, qtpy, hard fun

STEAM Teaching and Learning ESM 501, 3 credits

Instructor:
Meetings:
Materials:

There are no required textbooks for this course. All course materials will linked to through this site and readings are available in the course reader. All required software is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) or no-cost commercial software.
There may be fees associated with the museum visits.

In the Design Lab students encounter the big ideas in Maker Education and STEAM as well as the practices of the maker lab. Emphasis is placed on engagement in and critique of the practice of “making” through foundational literature and hands on studio culture with a focus on creativity and learning.

Goals

  1. Students will explore and analyze foundational and contemporary theories and approaches of Maker Ed and STEAM texts and respond through a series of written, audio and video prompts.
  2. Students will engage conceptual, aesthetic, and practical aspects of Maker Ed and STEAM through the generation and production of a series of material and digital prototyping and final projects. This includes creative problem-solving, collaboration and critical inquiry as they ‘make’ with others. Both processes and final work will be included in student-created digital portfolios.
  3. Students will analyze and evaluate the role of Maker Ed and STEAM theories and practices in educational settings through a final interactive online zine that curates their learning across the course.value
  4. Students will have fun and experience joy in learning, understanding and demonstrating the role of play, risk-taking and experimentation in making and creating in Maker Ed and STEAM environments.