FabLabs in Educational Context

A Retrospective and Outlook

This workshop is intended for researchers, interaction designers, makers, fabbers, educators as well as newbies. The goal is to summarize first impacts and envision future prospects of FabLabs in educational contexts by discussing different learning approaches. Participants are asked to send in concepts on how children can learn with and about FabLab technologies (2-3 pages). These contributions can present recent projects, future visions, educational concepts or a theoretical reflexion.

Facilitators:
Dennis Krannich is Senior Researcher of the work group Digital Media in Education (dimeb) at the University Bremen, Germany, and a leading expert on digital media and digital fabrication in education. He is head of the digital experience lab at University Bremen and deputy chairman of FabLab Bremen. His research focuses on the mergence of the physical and digital world. In particular he investigates the influences of personal fabrication on HCI to bridge the gap between analysis and design, and on how to learn with and about personal fabrication (“be-greifbare Interaktion”). Dr. Krannich is a lecturer within the Digital Media and Informatics department. He is member of German UPA and TZI (Technologie-Zentrum Informatik und Informationstechnik).

Paulo Blikstein is Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Education. He created the first global program for taking fabrication labs to K-12 schools, the FabLab@School project. His research focus on how new technologies can deeply transform the learning of science, engineering, and mathematics. He creates and researches construction kits, tangible interfaces, computer modeling, and rapid prototyping, creating learning environments in which children learn by building sophisticated projects and devices. A recipient of the NSF Early Career Award, Blikstein holds a PhD. from Northwestern University, an MSc. from the MIT Media Lab, and a B.S. in Engineering from the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Download the outcomes from discussions in the workshop (PDF)

Workshop papers:

Programming Jewelty:_Revealing Models behind Digital Fabrication – Nadine Dittert, Eva-Sophie Katterfeldt, and Sabrina Wilske

A Lean Experience of Game Fabrication: From School to University and Back – Gabriella Dodero, Rosella Gennari, Alessandra Melonio, and Santina Torello

IK BEN STER(K) – Empowering young adults through a peer-to-peer talent development platform – Emilia Louisa Pucci and Ingrid Mulder

Toy hacking: a catalyst of children’s self-development. Early steps. – Valentina Chinnici

Design Tingstedet-A portable Design Workshop – Alexandra Papadimitriou and Jacob Buur

What are Real Challenges in Using Digital Fabrication in Product Design and How to Gain Maximum Benefits From It? – Shengfeng Qin

MAKING As a Tool to Competence-based School Programming – Susanna Tesconi and Lucia Arias

DOT O&O. Developing Research and Design Skills in the Classroom (Dutch secondary education) – Peter Troxler, Manon Mostert – van der Sar and Edgar de Wit

Seeing inspiration in a Self-Motivated Values-Led Participatory Design Approach to Digital Fabrication – Rebecca Taylor

FabLab@School: From Digital Literacy to Design Bildung – Mikkel Hjorth

Designing Digital Technology and Materials for Digital Fabrication in Schools a Hackerism Perspective – Kasper Skov Christensen and Ole Sejer Iversen