Connected Spaces: A Technology Framework to Support Distributed Collaboration and Mentorship Across Makerspaces

• In Event: 34.028 - From Making to Agentic Participation: Perspectives on and Approaches to Fostering Epistemic Engagement in Making

Abstract

There is growing recognition that learning in makerspaces needs to move beyond a focus on technical mastery and fabrication of artifacts to include the development of a range of STEM+C focused collaborative and social skills (Easterday et al., 2014; Feder et al., 2009). In particular, makerspaces should support novices’ development of core practices of collaboration, knowledge building with others, and mentorship. Peer mentorship (or tutoring) has multiple benefits, as it requires mentors to engage in metacognitive reflection and reconcile contradictions and gaps in their own understanding (Roscoe & Chi, 2007; Topping, 2005).

While the open-endedness and autonomy of makerspaces provides ample opportunities for participants to express agency in developing their individual learning pathways (Clements, 2002), their semi-structured, drop-in nature can pose significant challenges to developing a shared community identity (Bevan, Gutwill, Petrich, & Wilkinson, 2015; Sheridan et al., 2014). This is compounded by the fact that makerspaces are often highly distributed, with locations and participants existing in small pockets that are largely unaware of work happening within or across their respective sites (Halverson & Tissenbaum, 2016). This lack of “knowledge awareness” (Ogata & Yano, 2000) of what others are doing is a serious detriment to the development of a community of like-minded learners (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Leinonon et al., 2002). If we are serious about developing spaces in which participants are responsible for shaping community knowledge and practices (Stroupe, 2014), we need to develop tools and approaches that provide participants with lenses into the activities of the broader community and the means for engaging collaborators and mentors.

In response, we developed the Connected Spaces framework – a technology framework that uses large ambient displays (Figure 3) to connect learners across distributed makerspaces; record their participation and affinities; and broadcast participation as a means for increasing community awareness, collaboration, and mentoring opportunities.

When entering a makerspace, participants place an RFID card on a sensor to login and choose their activity. Once logged in, their name appears on the display along with all other participants at their makerspace, as well as participants logged in at partner makerspaces (Figure 3). Along with their current activity, icons appearing next to participants’ names show their individual affinities (i.e., activities they are interested in for collaboration). The bottom right corner is a panel for live video chat. When a participant wants to engage with members at a partner site, they place a “call” block on the RFID sensing pad, causing the display at the partner site to glow. If partner participants want to collaborate, they place their own call block on their sensor pad, causing the video chat to initiate. Through these integrated tools, Connected Spaces provides multiple avenues for providing awareness of the broader community and developing maker and STEM+C skills.

This poster will report on pilot studies of the Connected Spaces project deployed during summer and fall maker camps and showcase a working version of the dashboard, connected to a makerspace in Madison, WI, to give attendees a chance to see the dashboard in action.

Authors

• Mike Tissenbaum, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Vishesh Kumar, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Wm. Beaumont Johnson, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Erica Rosenfeld Halverson, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Matthew W. Berland, University of Wisconsin - Madison