Fostering Active Learning Through Makerspaces in Higher Education
Makerspaces transform higher education by fostering collaborative, inclusive communities where creative technology cultivates hands-on learning, human connection, and deep conceptual understanding.
Presented by:
Ali Sakkal, Wake Forest University
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Transcript:
This study reimagines higher education pedagogy by integrating maker tools, like 3D printing and laser cutting, into an interdisciplinary humanities setting. The goal was to connect “hand and mind,” helping
students internalize elements of learning psychology while gaining new skills and fostering creative confidence.
Students began the semester in a standard classroom & focused on the more customary topics of a foundational learning psychology course. The second half moved into the campus makerspace, where students engaged in a three-phase project: brainstorming and planning, translating designs into software, and constructing physical models. This experiential approach shifted the learning environment from
passive absorption to active meaning-making.
The findings reveal a powerful shift in the learning experience. While students initially navigated a ‘messy ecosystem’ characterized by challenges in balancing design complexity with time constraints, the
data indicated a significant increase in self-efficacy, creative problem-solving, and resilience.
Ultimately, this project suggests that the psychology of learning in the current age thrives at the intersection of the creative, digital, and tactile. It advocates for the expansion of interdisciplinary makerspaces to provide all students—regardless of discipline—the opportunity to develop the metacognitive awareness and deep conceptual understanding necessary to succeed in an ever-changing world.
Key Words:
Makerspaces, Pedagogy, Creativity
Abstract:
This research explores integrating makerspace practices into an interdisciplinary humanities course to reimagine higher education pedagogy. By merging learning psychology with hands-on digital fabrication—such as 3D printing and laser cutting—the study examines how experiential learning connects hand and mind. Qualitative analysis of student reflections reveals that despite time management challenges, makerspace projects significantly enhance creative problem-solving, metacognitive awareness, and design self-efficacy. Furthermore, this active learning approach dismantles traditional classroom hierarchies, cultivating a compassionate, egalitarian community. Ultimately, makerspaces empower students, fostering deeper conceptual understanding and personal resilience in the digital age.
Outcomes:
1. Connect principles of learning to the practical application of creative technologies.
2. Analyze the role of experiential environments in dismantling traditional classroom power hierarchies and cultivating safe, egalitarian learning communities.
3. Adapt strategies from this interdisciplinary learning model to design active, hands-on learning experiences that empower students within their own teaching contexts.
References:
Hoople, G. D., Mejia, J. A., Hoffoss, D., & Devadoss, S. L. (2020). Makerspaces on the continuum: Examining undergraduate student learning in formal and informal settings. International Journal of Engineering Education, 36(4), 1184–1195.
Soomro, S. A., Casakin, H., & Georgiev, G. V. (2022). A systematic review on FabLab environments and creativity: Implications for design. Buildings, 12(6), 804. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12060804
Budge, K. (2019). The ecosystem of a makerspace: Human, material and place-based interrelationships. Journal of Design, Business & Society, 5(1), 77–94.
Forest, C. R., et al. (2014). The invention studio: A university maker space and culture. Advances in Engineering Education, 4(2), [add article number].