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Analysis of an Open Workshop - Maker Days for Kids Event
The document summarizes an evaluation of a Maker Days for Kids event held at TU Graz in 2018. It provides statistics on the 118 child attendees, broken down by gender and age. The most popular stations were 3D printing and soldering. Two original hypotheses were confirmed - that computer/electronic workshops are most popular and programming less so, while three were not confirmed. Novel hypotheses propose that interest shifts from electronics to programming with age, and that girls attend fewer workshops than boys. The event was deemed successful in engaging children, especially girls, though more can be done to attract older children and increase female participation.
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Analysis of an Open Workshop - Maker Days for Kids Event
- 1. WISSEN TECHNIK LEIDENSCHAFT Analysis of anOpen Workshop Maker Days for Kids Event Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Strasser, BSc
- 2. Agenda Introduction Making, Makers andMaker Spaces Making with Children Open Digital Workshop Bad Reichenhall Maker Days for Kids Event at TU Graz Evaluation Method Evaluation Results Hypothesis Evaluation Conclusion 2
- 3. Introduction Vision of SeymourPapert “The goal is to teach in such a way as to produce the most learning from the least teaching.” • Each children should have his own computer to use it as an instrument for learning and enhancing skills such as • Creativity • Innovation • Computational Thinking 3
- 4. Introduction • 1990s LegoMindstorms was released that is based on Papert‘s book „Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas“. • Based on Papert‘s learning theory „Constructionism“ • Most efficient way of learning because participants will encounter problems that they need to solve on their own • Do-It-Yourself has already reached the masses with the Ikea concept • Information and Communications Technology Making 4
- 5. Making, Makers andMaker Spaces • Making Process of creating technical artifacts • Maker Spaces Physical locations where Makers can access tools and share their knowledge • 1420 active Maker Spaces • In general Making concept and Maker Spaces are designed for adults 5
- 6. Making with Children •Schön et al. introduced a novel concept of Making with children • Constructionism can be used for setting and reaching individual learning goals Making is related to projects and student-centered • Making a product Learn new tools and concepts • Every child can work in their own speed • Place where failures are allowed to happen • Making with children is mostly executed at temporary Maker Spaces 6
- 7. Open Digital Workshop •Concept was created by Schön et al. and is aligned to children • Maker Days for Kids event in Bad Reichenhall (2015) • Open Workshop Series Children can join and leave workshops as they want • Different because children needs to be guided. 7
- 8. Evaluation Results ofBad Reichenhall • 67 attendees • ~ 2.3 Workshops per day of each attendee • Most interesting stations were Vinyl Cutter and 3D Printer • 80.1% of all workshops were computer related and 19.9% Traditional handcrafting related • Average age was 10.9 years • High participation of girls • Girls are most attracted to creativity activities such as Light Painting and Textiles 8
- 9. Hypotheses of BadReichenhall Gappmaier introduced six hypotheses that are based on the evaluation results of the event at Bad Reichenhall 1. The most frequently visited workshops have a focus on Computers, Electronic and New Media such as 3D-Printer and Vinyl-Cutter. 2. Pure Programming related workshops are less frequently visited. 3. The more days of attendance, the more workshops on average will be visited by the individual participant. 9
- 10. Hypotheses of BadReichenhall 4. Girls are less attracted to pure technical or computer science related workshops such as 3D-Printing, soldering or programming. 5. Children are preferring adjacent stations when they move to other workshops. 6. Girls are more attracted to stations that are supervised by female tutors and peers. 10
- 11. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Key Facts • Children between 10 – 14 years • Open workshops concept • 2 workshop rooms with 18 stations 11
- 12. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Thesis Motivation and Targets • Motivation • Understand how the event appeal to children • Use statistical data to improve further events to attract certain interest groups such as girls • Targets • Overview about related work that contains Making with children • Summarization of the Maker Days for Kids Event at TU Graz • Analysis and Evaluation of the event 12
- 13. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Impressions 13
- 14. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Coding Club 14
- 15. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Robotic Club 15
- 16. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Soldering 16
- 17. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Lego Building 17
- 18. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Lego City 18
- 19. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Textile Manufacture 19
- 20. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Crafting 20
- 21. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Creativity Zones 21
- 22. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Evaluation and Interpretation 22
- 23. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Evaluation and Interpretation 23
- 24. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Evaluation Challenges 24 • Limits of manually data recording because of overload • Vinyl Cutter and Modelling Corner • Appearance of non-registered children • Misaligned ID cards Peers/Tutors asked for their ID
- 25. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz General Statistics 25 • 4 Days • 18 Stations • 118 Attendees • 126 Workshops • Total 179 Statistics • Overall Overview • Each station
- 26. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz General Statistics 26
- 27. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz General Statistics 27
- 28. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz General Statistics 28
- 29. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz General Statistics 29
- 30. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz General Statistics 30
- 31. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz General Statistics 31
- 32. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Soldering Station Statistics 32
- 33. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Soldering Station Statistics 33
- 34. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Soldering Station Statistics 34
- 35. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Soldering Station Statistics 35
- 36. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Discussion • Digital Fabrication Stations • 51 Participants ( 42 Boys, 8 Girls) • Most attractive to children that are between 11 and 13 years old • Most attractive workshop was „Mache ein Spiel“ but there were almost boys • Most attractive workshop for girls was the „Hüpf Konsole für Pacman“ • Possibility to combine both workshops to attract more girls 36
- 37. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Discussion • Physical (Computing) Stations • 298 Participants (194 Boys, 76 Girls) • Most attractive to children that are between 10 and 13 years old • Girls were most attracted by the Textile Manufacture workshops and the Coding Club workshops Milk Monster, Oracle Monster • Attractiveness of workshops can be increased by introducing creativity • Girls can also be attracted for abstract programming by introducing creativity that was seen at the „Programmierbare Stickmaschine“ workshops 37
- 38. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Discussion • General • Participants at the age of 14 were underpresented • Marketing campaign did not attract them • Low representation of girls • Marketing campaign should be aligned to girls Emphasize creativity • All participants visited about 4 workshops Every gender and age felt comfortable • Most attractive stations were 3D-Printing and Soldering 38
- 39. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Hypotheses Evaluation 1. The most frequently visited workshops have a focus on Computers, Electronic and New Media such as 3D-Printer and Vinyl-Cutter. Still Valid 3D Printing and Soldering most visited stations 2. Pure Programming related workshops are less frequently visited. Still Valid Hardware related programming workshops more popular 3. The more days of attendance, the more workshops on average will be visited by the individual participant. Invalid Participants visited less workshops the other days 39
- 40. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Hypotheses Evaluation 4. Girls are less attracted to pure technical or computer science related workshops such as 3D-Printing, soldering or programming. Invalid Most attractive workshops were Crafting, Elektronik Basteln, Milk Monster, Oracle Monster and Programmierbare Stickmaschine 5. Children are preferring adjacent stations when they move to other workshops. Invalid More movements to the other workshop room than to adjacent stations 6. Girls are more attracted to stations that are supervised by female tutors and peers. No Statement possible Robotic Club and Soldering Station was guided by a male and was well participated by girls 40
- 41. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Novel Hypotheses 1. The more days of attendance, the least workshops will be visited by the individual participant. 41
- 42. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Novel Hypotheses 2. Children at younger ages (11 years) are attracted to Electronic and with higher age (13) they get more attracted to software programming. 42
- 43. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Novel Hypotheses 2. Children at younger ages (11 years) are attracted to Electronic and with higher age (13) they get more attracted to software programming. 43
- 44. Maker Days forKids Event in 2018 at TU Graz Novel Hypotheses 3. Girls are visiting less workshops than boys. 44
- 45. Conclusion • Evaluation resultsclearly shows that the event was very successful • 119 attendees • 126 workshops • Feedback of the workshops from the tutors/peers were overall good • Girls were presented with 28% Attract more girls for the next events • Coding Club clearly shows that creativity can increase the interests of girls in STEAM related activities • Two hypotheses were confirmed, three were voided and one could not be evaluated • Three novel hyoptheses were introduced 45