Makerspace and the 5 C’s of Learning: Constructing, Collaborating, Communicating, Critically-Thinking, and Creatively-Thinking

Abstract

From early childhood settings to higher education, makerspaces provide opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds to engage in hands-on learning for designing and creating to solve problems. This study explores the advent of the makerspace movement and the benefits and future implications for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) learning for interweaving makers philosophy. As our global society nears the close of the first quarter of the twenty-first century, the skills developed, refined, and improved through makers learning readies all learners with twenty-second century preparedness. The makerspace movement is innately centered on constructivism. Constructivism provides learners with both social discourse and the transmission of experiential knowledge for constructing understanding. This study examines the effect of constructivism and the roles of communicating and collaborating during makers discovery for motivating students and makerspace influence on social skills development. The prosocial benefits of makerspaces also serve as catalysts for inspiring personalized learning and group learning dynamics between cooperating students. Moreover, makerspaces incorporate elements of computing, engineering, and the arts in the aesthetics of student work products. When students design and construct, they employ critical-thinking skills for creating original works of art and science. The development of critical-thinking skills and creativity in learners are life skills students employ throughout a lifetime of learning. This study explores a spectrum of makerspace tools, ranging from cardboard and Legos to laser cutters and CNC machines for use by learners in early childhood centers through university settings. This study also provides recommendations for future makerspace utilization as both a course offering for students as well as strategies for embedding makers philosophy through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teaching and learning athwart a spectrum of STEAM and content areas.