1. FabLab+
A FabLab for A

2. ‘The idea of school as a place where knowledge
is transferred from teacher to student, whose
success is measured by the accuracy of his/her
regurgitation of it, is antiquated.’
- Tony Wagner
Harvard University’s Innovation Lab

3. • Within conventional lessons or within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
& Mathematics) students are able to train intensively in the proces of solution
steered learning.
• ‘Trial & Error’-didactics in which failing is stimulated to be able to improve
further along the line (first-hand experience).
• Push- vs Pull-education: emphasis on experience in stead of someone
lecturing about a subject or showing a video (show-and-tell). The result can
be taken anywhere and exposed (+ shared) later on, in this way there’s a
much quicker experience of succes (proudly: “We made that!”).
• Hands-on education In which students learn to experience how to deal with
different aspects like time/environment/circumstances in the
interdisciplinairy projects they’re participating in.
This FabLab is placed within the grounds of the STEM-campus Stedelijk Lyceum
Meir (Municipal Education of Antwerp)
Vision

4. Labourmarket demands technical profiles
±20%
±15%
Stimulate students for STEM at a critical age
Inform parents: tackle the image problem of Technical Education
A-level O-level VTE
±21%

5. Preferred evolution

6. FabLab+ focusses on two bridges (moments of transition/choice):
1) Transition of 3rd level of primary education to 1st level of secondary education
(1st gap)
2) Transition of 3rd level of secundary education to higher education STEM
(productdesign, architects, engineers, etc.) (2nd gap).
Focusgroup
Primary
education:
kindergarten +
primary school
Secundary
education: high
school
Higher
education:
PBA + ABA
(college) + AMA
(university)

7. ‘While this kind of education does result in the
gain of measurable, practical skills, it’s really
about the problem-solving skills as opposed to
the specific [technical] skills.’
- David Wells
Manager of creative making and learning at the
New York Hall of Science

8. Primary goal:
A1: STEM-promotion: promoting education from the
interest-field of Science and Technology
Primary goal

9. Secondary goals (gender):
B1: Increase the share of girls within Science & Technology
B2: Increase the share of students from foreign origin within Science &
Technology
E.g.:
B1: within Science and Technology the lion share of girls are currently
choosing Pharmacy & Bio-scientific courses (Bio-engineer, Biomedical
sciences)
B2: white collar-trap: students of foreign origin (and their parents) are
choosing courses that sound like they ensure an office job (e.g. Trade, Sales),
while these courses insufficiently bring people to the labour market.
Secondary goals

10. • FabLab Supported with iMedia (eiLab, since 2012)
• @ 1 site, @ 2 locations (ground floor: FabLab), + iMediaLab @ 5th floor
(elevator)
• Problemsolved working supplemented with train-the-trainers for teachers
(so they can prepare in class together with their pupils)
• Cross-pollination & exchange through ICT
• iWork (apps, filming, motion capture, editing, etc.)
• Filmstudio (greenscreen)
‘+’ in FabLab+

11. Simulation of infrastructure after
renovation

12. • Suited for target audience: open during school hours & Wednesday
afternoon (for now: closed during school holidays)
• Momentarily closed on Thursdays.
• Most up-to-date opening hours + way of contact:
o http://www.fablabplus.be/contact/adres/
o +32 3 292 97 62 (fablab)
o +32 3 292 97 61 (desk)
• More info on website: www.fablabplus.be
Opening hours

13. Clear vision: STEM promotion!
Letting pupils have a taste of Science and Technology. Improving the flow of
pupils from Primary Municipal Education to Secondary Municipal Education.
But: FabLab+ is for all portals of education!
Focus on target groups:
1st bridge: 3rd level primary education  1st level secondary education;
2nd bridge: 3rd level secondary education  higher education (technical high
potentials)
Collaborating with creative Hubs (2-monthly meetings): working together on
promoting Science & Technology.
In summary

14. ‘The whole idea of trial and error is something
that is antithetical to our formal systems of
education... In fact, we penalize failure… So
there’s a complete contradiction between the
world of schooling and the world of innovation.’
- Tony Wagner
Harvard University’s Innovation Lab