CHS: Medium: Collaborative Research: From Hobby to Socioeconomic Driver: Innovation Pathways to Professional Making in Asia and the American Midwest

本研究关注的是在“制造”的保护伞下不断发展的信息技术实践的集合，其中包括终端用户对新兴形式的硬件和软件的实验，如开放硬件、数字制造、物联网等。“制造”已经被广泛地设想为实现从修补到原型和创业的过渡，并最终帮助重振美国的制造业。在美国，制造在很大程度上仍然是一种业余爱好，从业余爱好到新一波经济建设技术创新的转变并不容易。然而，在世界其他地方，包括中国的深圳和台湾的台北，这是可以做到的，而且已经在做了。通过实证研究、实践设计研讨会和国际比较，该项目将检查和记录从爱好到社会经济驱动力的成功途径，以及它们如何得到技术、政策、经济和教学基础设施的支持。从广义上讲，这项研究将为硅谷等更熟悉的技术中心以外的地区的技术创新研究做出贡献：亚洲和美国中西部。它将有助于将技术创新和设计模式与当地历史、文化和社会政治背景联系起来的讨论。这包括围绕技术进步、创造力和设计的非线性故事的辩论。这项研究还将为越来越多的研究提供人种学基础和技术见解，从而为有关制造向生产和创业主义过渡的新问题提供研究，重点是调查制造商集体、黑客空间和维修实践的工具、技术和社会组织。制作为开发STEM学习的新颖多学科方法提供了手段、工具和教育文化。通过动手制作来教授计算，有可能为代表性不足的群体和少数群体开辟STEM领域和职业。然而，先前的研究已经证明，挑战仍然存在；例如，创客空间中的女性人数仍然很低，专业创客社区只是间接地进入了STEM教育。该项目将通过促进跨学科和国际合作以及包括科学、技术、工程、艺术和设计以及工业和专业业余爱好者在内的参与学习，促进更广泛的国家兴趣，将动手制作转变为可持续模式。

This study concerns the evolving collection of information technology practices that have been grouped under the umbrella of "making," which includes end-user experimentation with emerging forms of hardware and software such as open hardware, digital fabrication, Internet of Things, and more. "Making" has been widely envisioned to enable a transition from tinkering to prototyping and entrepreneurship and, finally, to help revive manufacturing industries in the United States. Making in the US remains largely a hobbyist practice, and the transition from making-as-hobby to a new wave of economy-building technology innovation is not easy. Yet it can be done and indeed is already being done in other parts of the world, including the cities of Shenzhen, China and Taipei, Taiwan. Through empirical research, hands-on design workshops and international comparison, this project will examine and document successful pathways from making as hobby to socioeconomic driver, and how they are supported by technological, policy, economic, and pedagogical infrastructures. Broadly, this research will provide a contribution to studies of technology innovation in regions beyond more familiar technology hubs like Silicon Valley: Asia and the American Midwest. It will contribute to discussions that place models of technology innovation and design in relationship to local histories, cultures, and sociopolitical contexts. This includes debates around non-linear stories of technological progress, creativity, and design. This research will also contribute to a growing body of research focused on investigating the tools, techniques, and social organization of maker collectives, hackerspaces, and repair practices by providing both an ethnographic foundation and technological insights for emerging issues concerning making's transition into production and entrepreneurialism. Making provides the means, tools, and educational culture for developing novel and multidisciplinary approaches in STEM learning. Computation when taught through hands-on making has the potential to open up STEM fields and careers to underrepresented groups and minorities. Prior research has documented, however, that challenges remain; for instance the number of women in makerspaces remains low and professional maker communities are only indirectly brought into STEM education. This project will contribute to a broader national interest in transforming hands-on making into a sustainable model by facilitating interdisciplinary and international collaborations and engaged learning inclusive of the sciences, technology, engineering, arts and design as well as industry and expert amateurs.