Shop Class for the Next Millenium: Education through Computer-Enriched Handicrafts

Abstract

Abstract:In this paper we use our experiences with the HyperGami program as a springboard for a broader look at the future of computationally-enriched handicrafts. HyperGami is an educational application for the design and construction of mathematical models and sculptures in paper; as such, it serves as a source of examples and insights for the more general problem of how to integrate the "high-tech" features of computation with the "low-tech" features of traditional craft materials in education. We begin by describing the HyperGami program, focusing on those features that were designed in response to problems encountered by papercrafters; we illustrate the program's capabilities by presenting some of our own and our students' papercraft designs; and we describe our initial steps in implementing elements of HyperGami on the World Wide Web. In the closing sections of the paper, we explore the broader educational issues involved in integrating computation and handicrafts; and we conclude with a discussion of how physical objects could play a role in a future "educational object economy."

Mike Eisenberg: A One of a Kind Pioneer in the Learning Sciences

“…Close to a decade before the first maker faire would open in the Bay area, Mike and Ann (Eisenberg & Eisenberg (Nishioka), 1998), in writing about "Shop Class for the Next Millennium", outlined a bold vision for the hi-tech tools and lo-tech materials that should become commonplace in classrooms. While they could easily have chosen science or math classes to make the point-the usual suspects for education reform-they chose shop class instead!…”

“…Evidently, Mike and Ann were not swept away by the web mania that took over a significant proportion of educational research involving computers. On the contrary, in their "Shop Class" paper (Eisenberg & Eisenberg (Nishioka), 1998), Mike and Ann state a position that, twenty years later, was rediscovered by many of us in the present era. They considered that the then-current views of cyberspace … are powerful and compelling; and quite probably, they accurately describe an aspect of computational life that will take on ever-greater importance in the near future.…”

Reflections on iCODE: using web technology and hands-on projects to engage urban youth in computer science and engineering

“…At the same time, the decreased cost of microcontroller hardware and related electronic components, coupled with the increased availability of free compilers and other software tools, have prompted a surge in user-inspired microcontroller-based projects. This merging of craft and computing is a rich area of study, and was underway even before the Web 2.0 phenomenon gave it a boost (Eisenberg and Eisenberg 1998).…”

Teaching digital craft

“…Likewise, craft researchers widened their view from a traditional making practice to "craft as knowledge that empowers a maker to take charge of technology" [6]. Examples for digital craft practices are found in speculative design [7], education [9,5], or innovative media design [16]. A driving factor of digital craft is its combination of new technology with physical hands-on experience.…”