EAGER: MAKER: Making Prosthetics for Kids - Socially Relevant Making to Catalyze Diversity and Engagement in STEM Learning

这个探索性研究项目是在一个校园大学创客空间的背景下研究与社会相关的制造。项目研究正在开发最佳实践模型，说明如何利用通过Making进行的正式STEM学习来提高正式和正式学习方法的有效性，以及提高学生和教师对STEM教育的保留和广泛参与。目前正在与当地一所以工程为重点的高中合作，在中学和大专阶段进行研究。项目研究基于一个特定的社会相关挑战问题：为需要假肢的儿童设计和制造假肢。挑战问题活动直接与现实世界的背景和结果联系在一起，与一家非营利组织合作，专门为有肢体差异的儿童提供免费的3D打印娱乐假肢。项目研究正在定义非正式和正式STEM学习途径的新整合，为其他机构的学习生态系统提供案例研究、学习材料、经验教训和可扩展的设计模板。对设计思维的关注从跨学科的互动中支持学习，特别是在STEM概念的跨学科同伴学习中，让非STEM学习者接触STEM概念，并打破传统的师生角色。项目成果通过确定学习的最佳实践设计模式，以挑战问题为重点，催化和维持多样化的学习者向Maker stem为基础的亲和力身份的过渡，这些模式可以更广泛地应用于促进教育环境中正式和非正式学习之间的协同互动。

This exploratory research project is studying socially-relevant Making in the context of an on campusuniversity Makerspace. Project studies are developing best practice models of howinformal STEM learning through Making can be leveraged to improve the effectiveness of bothinformal and formal learning approaches, as well as to increase retention and broadenparticipation in STEM education for students and faculty. This is being studied across bothsecondary and post-secondary levels in partnership with a local engineering-focused high school.Project research is grounded in a specific socially-relevant challenge problem: designing andfabricating prosthetic hands for children who need them. Challenge problem activities areconnected directly to real world context and outcomes in partnership with a nonprofitorganization that specializes in facilitating and providing 3D printed recreational prosthetichands free of charge for children with limb differences.Project research is defining novel integrations of informal and formal STEM learning pathways,providing case studies, learning materials, lessons learned, and scalable design templates forlearning ecosystems at other institutions. The focus on design thinking supports learningbenefits from cross-disciplinary interaction, particularly in interdisciplinary peer learning ofSTEM concepts, exposing non-STEM learners to STEM concepts, and disrupting traditionalteacher-student roles. Project outcomes are catalyzing and sustaining diverse learner transitionsto a Maker STEM-based affinity identity by identifying best practice design patterns for learning,focused by the challenge problem, which can be applied more generally to foster synergeticinteractions between formal and informal learning within educational environments.