Widening the walls of the science centre
Tinkering and Making Space (La Cassiere Hall)
Tinkering and making exhibits can expand the walls of the science centre by offering experiences that can be re-imagined and built upon in community spaces. In this workshop session, participants engage firsthand with 4 experiences that can be realised as lightly facilitated exhibits in a museum context or more facilitated maker environments outside of the museum.
We will discuss how taking an active role in supporting community members in adapting and adopting hands-on environments and experiences into their existing spaces is a powerful way to redefine the relationship science centres have with the community from 'beacon of knowledge' to 'agent of change'. Empowering the public to integrate these pedagogies into their own spaces, and communities is one way of furthering inclusion and access to hands-on learning.
Workshop limited to 25 participants.
Outcomes: what will participants get from this session? Skills, knowledge, experience etc.
Gain direct experience with accessible environments and materials that enrich and deepen STEAM learning from electricity boards to solar-powered machines to light playgrounds.
We will discuss concrete design and facilitation principles for creating equitable making and tinkering situations inside and outside of the science centre.
Participants are invited to become part of a network dedicated to exchanging ideas around STEAM tinkering environments
Facilitator
MIT Media Lab - Research Affiliate
San Francisco
United States
Session speakers
I will share experiences and reflections from the Makerlab in Dokk1. Makerlab is a library makerspace, where citizens can get introduced to digital fabrication and electronics. Makerlab hosts both workshops and open sessions for adults and within the last couple of years tinkering activities targeted families. Rethinking our maker and tinkering activities in the context of climate change and sustainability is something we are working intensively with, for instance in the Playing with The Sun construction kit that focuses on sustainable energy.
At Fábrica’s Dóing maker space, we have developed a STEAM educational model, focusing on making and tinkering. We have implemented several maker spaces at schools (Tech Labs) and public libraries (Dóing). Our year-long “STEAM tinkering” programme focuses on open-schooling, involving teacher training, bootcamps, and hackathons. We will share the educational programme, activity examples, and learning outcomes over the last four years.
Onl'fait collaborates since a few years with the Geneva public city library to offer maker and tinkering workshops at "L'espace Le 4eme" dedicated to technology, digitalisation and society. Designing maker workshops for a public different from our traditional one, in a space where technical tools, noise and dust are usually off-limits is as challenging as enriching. One of the last workshop that we delivered was about light and shadow, an activity adapted from the Tinkering Studio portfolio. During the workshop I'll share experiences and reflections about this activity and the promising synergy with the library.
