Make4Change: Empowering Unemployed Youth through Digital Fabrication

Hartikainen, Heidi; Orduña, Marta Cortés; Käsmä, Marjukka; Milara, Iván Sánchez; Ventä-Olkkonen, Leena

doi:10.1145/3466725.3466763

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The ensuing experience of contributing to something greater (e.g., maker movement) leads to a feeling of purpose and meaning that provides a sustainable experience and promotes the subject's well-being throughout the whole process [67]. The digital fabrication paradigm, particularly makerspaces and FabLabs, creates a sense of contribution among participant makers [68], as well as a sense of empowerment [69]. In the case of sustainability in digital fabrication design education, such a sense of contribution can be achieved in two directions:…”

Section: Sustainable Experiences With Digital Fabricationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Considerations in Digital Fabrication Design Education

Georgiev

Nanjappan

2023

Sustainability

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Design education utilising digital fabrication is characterised by a dynamic project-based learning environment in which ideas are embodied in prototypes. This environment affects the way design and fabrication activities are taught, including sustainability considerations in the process and the outcomes. With the objectives of refining the sustainability indicators in the context of digital fabrication design education and identifying educational interventions for improving sustainability, we analyse the processes and outcomes of a digital fabrication course. We further develop a conceptual framework for sustainable prototyping based on the prototyping and testing stages in the design thinking model. The sustainability considerations in the prototyping process and outcomes in the design education context in FabLab are exemplified. The findings will help enhance sustainability and develop interventions in the context of design education.

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Section: Sustainable Experiences With Digital Fabricationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability Considerations in Digital Fabrication Design Education

Georgiev

Nanjappan

2023

Sustainability

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“…Moreover, the target audience of digital fabrication education can range from pre to high school levels (Iivari et al, 2016;Iwata et al, 2020), including educational experts (Milara et al, 2020) and up to the university level (Mostert-van der Sar et al, 2013;Soomro et al, 2021b). Independent of these are activities targeting non-formal education (Hartikainen et al, 2021). Considering the broad spectrum of tools and activities involved in digital fabrication, the level of prior experience with regard to specific tools and techniques can vary considerably.…”

Section: Digital Fabrication Pedagogymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are free to select a project topic, considering basic requirements compatible with digital fabrication, and incorporating at least one sensor and one actuator. Moreover, students work at their own pace, which requires some self-organization compared to other approaches in digital fabrication contexts, such as STEM education (Togou et al, 2019) or youth education (Hartikainen et al, 2021). Based on this approach, the aim of this study was to explore the factors that may contribute to enhancing achievement in digital fabrication by considering psychological factors and technological aspects of digital fabrication.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Digital Fabrication in Design Education: Skills, Confidence, Motivation, and Enjoyment

Georgiev¹,

Nanjappan²,

Casakin³

et al. 2022

How Product and Manufacturing Design Enable Sustainable Companies and Societies

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Education in digital fabrication design is characterized by a dynamic project-based learning environment, where ideas are materialized into prototypes. This environment affects the way design activities are conducted, the content that is learned, and the types of outcomes. However, existing research into digital fabrication curricula focuses on the outcomes produced by students. Not much is known about students' thoughts and beliefs regarding their learning. To gain insight into this learning experience, we investigated the self-perceptions of students in a digital fabrication course. The course targets first-year university students and was delivered in a hybrid online and in-person mode. It is designed to prepare students to create simple interactive physical prototypes using mechanical, electrical, and software components. In this study we delivered two surveys, one at the beginning of the course and the other at the end of the course. Four psychological measures were investigated, including self-perceived skills, confidence, motivation, and enjoyment, each represented by five technological dimensions. These five dimensions were 2D and 3D design, electronics, programming, and the use of tools and devices in digital fabrication. We found that while students' skills and confidence in performing a variety of digital fabrication activities significantly increased, motivation and enjoyment were unchanged or, in some cases decreased. Moreover, a positive correlation was observed between perceived skills and performance in the course. Self-reported skills and confidence were related at the end of the course, as were enjoyment and motivation. The results also showed that enjoyment and motivation were not associated with course performance. Intervention programs in higher education aimed at digital fabrication courses in design may benefit from considering the findings of the study. Important aspects to consider in future learning interventions are various ways to increase course motivation without sacrificing skill development.

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“…In addition to the development of creative abilities, makerspaces are helpful in promoting collaboration, problem-solving, and communication in areas such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) [35,36]. Specifically, the relationship between creativity and makerspaces has been investigated in different research articles in the context of specific disciplines [37][38][39]. However, no study has focused simultaneously on all the aspects of creativity (person, collaboration, process, physical, social features of the environment, and product) in the context of makerspaces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review on FabLab Environments and Creativity: Implications for Design

2022

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Fabrication laboratories (FabLabs) and makerspaces are used to transform ideas into tangible products. Used in a design–learning context, they can enhance cognitive and creative skills. Creativity is the pivotal ability to produce innovative outcomes in makerspaces, and several studies have attempted to understand the role of makerspaces and creativity in specific fields. However, a comprehensive study offering a holistic view of the contributions of the makerspaces as built environments that foster creativity is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review on FabLabs, makerspaces, and creativity to address this research gap. While the review was performed using five major databases, only peer reviewed journal articles were considered. The findings revealed that makerspaces help to develop person, product, physical, and social environments, as well as process aspects of creativity. Moreover, makerspaces induce problem solving, collaborative, and communication skills; they also offer appealing environments and technologies for developing creative solutions to real-life problems. We identified and analysed five major themes dealing with technical skills, technological and environmental elements, STEM learning, and skill development, and elaborated upon their importance for enhancing creativity in FabLab and makerspace environments.

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Make4Change: Empowering Unemployed Youth through Digital Fabrication

Cited by 5 publications

References 13 publications

Sustainability Considerations in Digital Fabrication Design Education

Sustainability Considerations in Digital Fabrication Design Education

Perceptions of Digital Fabrication in Design Education: Skills, Confidence, Motivation, and Enjoyment

A Systematic Review on FabLab Environments and Creativity: Implications for Design

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