What is Making? What is Engineering?

Abstract

, and has co-developed the STEAM Labs TM program to engage middle and high school students in learning science, technology, engineering, arts, and math concepts through designing and building chain reaction machines. He has appeared on many TV shows (including Modern Marvels on The History Channel and Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC) and a movie with his Rube Goldberg machines, and worked as a behind-the scenes engineer for season 3 of the PBS engineering design reality TV show, Design Squad. He also held the Guinness World Record for the largest number of steps -125 -in a working Rube Goldberg machine.

Making Leaders: Leadership Characteristics Of Makers And Engineers In The Maker Community

“…Makers are defined as a group of tinkerers, hobbyists, and DIYers who enjoy creating and building technology-facilitated gadgets such as toys (Foster, Dickens, Jordan, & Lande, 2015), learning new skills, and interacting within a connected community of other self-identified Makers (Dougherty, 2012). Makers have many characteristics that overlap those of engineers (Heiman, Lande, & Jordan, 2015;Lande, Jordan, & Nelson, 2013;Oplinger et al, 2014). Maker culture has become a way to express creative drive in a communal setting Jordan & Lande, 2016).…”

Parents and Roles in Informal Making Education: Informing and Implications for Making in Museums

“…One study found that Makers self-identified as solving problems through practice and hands-on activities, differentiating themselves from engineers who solved problems through theory 7 . Furthermore, Makers are interested in sharing their projects and solutions, with the majority participating in collaborative activities 8 .…”

Exploring Making-based Pedagogy in Undergraduate Mezzanine-level Engineering Courses

“…One way to integrate student-centered learning into the classroom is to introduce Making into the curriculum. A "Maker" is a modern-day tinkerer, hands-on doer and fashioner of stuff who creates technical artifacts often without prior expertise [2][3][4][5][6][7] . The range of a Maker's expertise could be large, but novices and experts alike share an enthusiasm and appreciation for building, creation, and an approach to work that aligns with an "additive innovation" philosophy.…”