Making Improvements: Pedagogical Iterations of Designing a Class Project in a Maker Space

Roxana Maria Carbonell; Audrey Boklage; Patricia Clayton; Maura J. Borrego

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Faculty and Student Perspective on Instructional Strategies
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods
Page Count: 19
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--34942
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/34942
Download Count: 491

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Paper Authors

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Roxana Maria Carbonell University of Texas at Austin

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Roxana Carbonell is a current doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Her primary research interests are prosthetics, additive manufacturing, makerspaces, and engineering education.

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Audrey Boklage University of Texas at Austin

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Audrey Boklage is research assistant and director of the curriculum lab at Texas Inventionworks in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. She is particularly interested in improving the culture and environment of undergraduate education experience for all students, particularly those from underrepresented groups.

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Patricia Clayton University of Texas at Austin

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Maura J. Borrego University of Texas at Austin

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Maura Borrego is Director of the Center for Engineering Education and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and STEM Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Borrego is Senior Associaate Editor for Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. She previously served as Deputy Editor for Journal of Engineering Education, a Program Director at the National Science Foundation, on the board of the American Society for Engineering Education, and as an associate dean and director of interdisciplinary graduate programs. Her research awards include U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), a National Science Foundation CAREER award, and two outstanding publication awards from the American Educational Research Association for her journal articles. All of Dr. Borrego’s degrees are in Materials Science and Engineering. Her M.S. and Ph.D. are from Stanford University, and her B.S. is from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Abstract

This research paper examines a professor’s pedagogical adjustments over two semesters teaching a course that included a project in the university makerspace. In recent years, substantial resources have been invested into makerspaces in higher education with the underlying assumption that their creation will lead to experiences that ignite interest and engagement in engineering. In particular, university affiliated makerspaces have the potential to support innovation and design alongside the undergraduate engineering curriculum. the instructor’s perspective is vital to support engineering students in their use of these spaces. To better understand these strategies, this paper uses a descriptive case-study approach to identify lessons learned to encourage student engagement in a university makerspace. This research used qualitative methods and was guided by the following research question: • What is the professor experience across two semesters in teaching a course that incorporates a project in the makerspace?

During the Spring and Fall of 2019, researchers conducted two semi-structured interviews, 6 observations, and collected student artifacts from two civil engineering courses. A faculty member, Dr. Cook, at a large research university who received an institutional grant to support the design and implementation of a class project which utilized the makerspace, was the faculty participant. Dr. Cook’s investment in project design and outcomes gave researchers the opportunity to observe the impact of iteration and intention in designing and implementing course projects that utilized the university makerspace.

Observations of class presentations and final projects demonstrated a difference in project quality from the first semester to the second semester. One of the essential institutional supports that encouraged both professor and student engagement in the project was the funding used to employ a teaching assistant (TA) familiar with the subject matter and content of the course as well as the makerspace. From Spring 2019 to Fall 2019, Dr. Cook had thought that an overhaul of her project would be necessary to generate more engagement and output from students. Instead of these large changes, researchers alongside Dr. Cook found that familiarity with the makerspace, prior experience with an open-ended project, and peer support for students seemed to produce superior student engagement and output without vast pedagogical shifts.

Citation
Format

Carbonell, R. M., & Boklage, A., & Clayton, P., & Borrego, M. J. (2020, June), Making Improvements: Pedagogical Iterations of Designing a Class Project in a Maker Space Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34942

TY - CPAPER
AB - This research paper examines a professor’s pedagogical adjustments over two semesters teaching a course that included a project in the university makerspace. In recent years, substantial resources have been invested into makerspaces in higher education with the underlying assumption that their creation will lead to experiences that ignite interest and engagement in engineering. In particular, university affiliated makerspaces have the potential to support innovation and design alongside the undergraduate engineering curriculum. the instructor’s perspective is vital to support engineering students in their use of these spaces. To better understand these strategies, this paper uses a descriptive case-study approach to identify lessons learned to encourage student engagement in a university makerspace. This research used qualitative methods and was guided by the following research question:
• What is the professor experience across two semesters in teaching a course that incorporates a project in the makerspace?

During the Spring and Fall of 2019, researchers conducted two semi-structured interviews, 6 observations, and collected student artifacts from two civil engineering courses. A faculty member, Dr. Cook, at a large research university who received an institutional grant to support the design and implementation of a class project which utilized the makerspace, was the faculty participant. Dr. Cook’s investment in project design and outcomes gave researchers the opportunity to observe the impact of iteration and intention in designing and implementing course projects that utilized the university makerspace.

Observations of class presentations and final projects demonstrated a difference in project quality from the first semester to the second semester. One of the essential institutional supports that encouraged both professor and student engagement in the project was the funding used to employ a teaching assistant (TA) familiar with the subject matter and content of the course as well as the makerspace. From Spring 2019 to Fall 2019, Dr. Cook had thought that an overhaul of her project would be necessary to generate more engagement and output from students. Instead of these large changes, researchers alongside Dr. Cook found that familiarity with the makerspace, prior experience with an open-ended project, and peer support for students seemed to produce superior student engagement and output without vast pedagogical shifts.

AU - Roxana Maria Carbonell
AU - Audrey Boklage
AU - Patricia Clayton
AU - Maura J. Borrego
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Making Improvements: Pedagogical Iterations of Designing a Class Project in a Maker Space
UR - https://peer.asee.org/34942
DO - 10.18260/1-2--34942
ER -