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- Title
Teachers Use of Public Makerspaces to Support Students' Development of Digital Technology Competencies.
- Authors
Macann, Victoria; Carvalho, Lucila
- Abstract
Public libraries around the world have been re-configuring their sites to include 'makerspaces'—as a dedicated area where learners engage in creating, inventing, designing, discovering, coding, building and exploring. Makerspace activity often involves learning-by-doing and problem-solving, in a variety of topics in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This paper discusses the use of a public makerspace as an innovative learning environment, which has been specially set-up for exploring computational thinking (CT) in alignment with STEM activities. Interviews with primary school teachers explored their perceptions of the use of a makerspace for CT teaching and learning. Findings suggest that whilst teachers considered problem-solving important for developing CT skills, workshop sessions with tools/robotics seemed to hold higher value for them. Results also reveal teachers' uncertainties on how to design CT learning tasks and assessments; and discuss the role of makerspaces in offering opportunities for experimentation, collaboration, and shared inquiry in CT teaching and learning.
- Subjects
DIGITAL technology; STUDENT development; MAKERSPACES in libraries; PUBLIC libraries; STEM education; CLASSROOM environment
- Publication
New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 2021, Vol 56, p125
- ISSN
0028-8276
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s40841-020-00190-0