WSE Co-Hosts International Makerspace Symposium

Educators, librarians, educational developers, researchers, practitioners, and active makers from three continents (Australia, Europe and North America) participated in a very successful Makerspace Research Symposium held in the Werklund School of Education on September 30, 2016. Through the use of audiographic technology, participants were also able to engage in conversation throughout the day from such places as Sussex, England; Toowoomba & Bundaberg, Australia; St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and Vancouver, British Columbia. The one-day event was co-hosted by Dr. Jennifer Lock, Werklund School of Education and Dr. Petrea Redmond, School of Teacher Education and Early Childhood, University of Southern Queensland, Australia.

The symposium provided an opportunity to engage practitioners and researchers in conversation with regard to the current and future makerspace landscape at the local, national and international levels.  This one day symposium brought together both in-person and online practitioners and researchers for the purpose of exploring current approaches, practices, research, and to identify elements of impact/influence in terms of student learning.

Dr. Erica Halverson from University of Wisconsin-Madison started the day by giving the keynote address. Both in her keynote and in her responses to various elements in the day, she challenged the participants to consider the uniqueness, the affordances and the constraints of the maker movement; along with consideration of agency, purpose and deliverables.

In preparation for symposium, an extensive review of the literature was conducted, highlighting the presence of the maker movement in both informal and formal learning environments, trends and challenges.

In multiple breakout sessions, participants engaged in conversations with regard to what they and their organizations are doing with maker work and the challenges that are encountered. Throughout the day, key ideas and questions were captured.  These big ideas helped to shape the final discussion of the day that was the beginning of identifying initial areas of research. 

Various maker resources and books were on display that are accessible through the Doucette Library.  Thank you to Paula Hollohan for showcasing these materials as part of the symposium.

The symposium aimed to stimulate and contextualize new makerspace research and practice initiatives that arise from the collaborative discussions. It is our hope that research project will be developed and proposals shared among this new makerspace network.  

The day concluded with the launch of the website, werklund.ucalgary.ca/makerspaces.  This website will evolve as this new network of practitioners and researchers pursue research initiatives focused on learning, instruction and assessment within makerspace environments.

Jennifer Lock and Petrea Redmond
Co-hosts