Class Visits

Book a tour, orientation or specific Makerspace workshop or instruction for your class. The Makerspace works with faculty to align making projects and assignments to existing course learning outcomes. Once you fill out the booking form, the Makerspace Librarian, Martina King, will work with you to select the maker competencies below that most closely align with your course. Then design the making project, lesson plans, supports, and/or assessment rubric for assignments.

Learning experiences may include both in and out of class time in the makerspace and are not only fun and engaging for students but directly support their academic achievement.

Maker Competencies

General[1]

  1. Identify and articulate a need to create.
  2. Analyze and explore ideas, questions, problems, and potential solutions.
  3. Create effectively and safely.
  4. Assess the availability and appropriateness of tools and materials.
  5. Prototype using iterative design principles.
  6. Develop a project plan.
  7. Engage in effective teamwork.
  8. Employ effective knowledge management practices.
  9. Apply knowledge gained into other situations.
  10. Understand ethical and intellectual property issues surrounding making.

Technical

  • Working with and designing 3D digital objects
  • 3D Printing
  • Introductory coding concepts
  • Circuit basics
  • Basic photo, video and audio creation and editing concepts
  • Working with and converting file formats
  • Operating a laser cutter
  • Selecting and manipulating images for vinyl and laser cutting
  • Operating a vinyl cutter
  • Basic sewing machine operation
  • Using and designing patterns for sewing, knitting, beading and embroidery

[1]The general maker competencies were created by the University of Texas at Arlington’s Library FabLab and revised with the University of Nevada, Reno’s DeLaMare Library Makerspace

Design Thinking

The Makerspace also provides instruction and making activities based on the design thinking framework. Design thinking is a human-centered methodology for creative problem-solving. It employs empathy, brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and implementation. It can help students in any discipline learning how to develop innovative solutions to problems.

Design thinking instruction sessions can be paired with a making activity to illustrate the whole process or focus on one or more components. These can be offered in the Makerspace, regular classroom or virtually, depending on the learning outcomes and design of the course.

Examples of Class Activities

CHEM 380: Introduction to Flow Chemistry

  • Assignment: Make experimental decisions
  • Activity: Students were provided with 3D printed objects representing experimental elements so they could practice making experimental decisions to plan for and maximize their chemistry lab time.  

ARTE 207: 3D Spatial Practice

  • Assignment: Create a clay sculpture, experimenting with 3D elements
  • Activity: Students are introduced to the 3D Printing process and assisted with printing a 3D item that they can use to create 3D elements as part of their sculpture via imprinting or other techniques.

CRWR 295: The Craft of Writing

  • Assignment: Make a digital story with images and voice over
  • Activity: A demonstration digital story was created with instructions on how it was made to support students and students were assisted by Makerspace staff to work on their digital stories during class time.

CMPT 104: Fluency with Information Technology

  • Topic: Design Thinking Process
  • Activity: Marshmallow Challenge - Students work in teams to build the tallest tower that can support a marshmallow in a set amount of time. Reflection focusses on identifying design thinking process stages, teamwork, advantages of iterative prototyping, how this can be used in work settings.

INTA 440: Community Engagement

  • Topic: How to use making to engage community members
  • Activity: Students cooperatively created a line painting and reflected on how this type of activity could be used to support community engagement and consultation they were planning for partner organizations as their final class assignment.