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

这项研究关注的是不断发展的信息技术实践集合，这些实践被归类到“制造”的保护伞下，其中包括最终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。人们普遍认为，“制造”是为了实现从修修补补到原型制造和创业的转变，并最终帮助重振美国的制造业。美国制造在很大程度上仍然是一种业余爱好的做法，从把制造作为爱好向新一波促进经济建设的技术创新转型并非易事。然而，这是可以做到的，事实上，世界其他地区已经在这样做了，包括深圳、中国和台湾的台北。通过实证研究、动手设计研讨会和国际比较，该项目将检验和记录从作为业余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。总体而言，这项研究将对硅谷等更熟悉的科技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。它将有助于讨论将技术创新和设计的模式与当地历史、文化和社会政治背景相联系。这包括围绕技术进步、创造力和设计的非线性故事展开的辩论。这项研究还将为越来越多的研究做出贡献，这些研究侧重于调查制造者集体、黑客空间和修复实践的工具、技术和社会组织，为Making向生产和创业转型的新问题提供人种学基础和技术见解。Making为在STEM学习中发展新颖的、多学科的方法提供了手段、工具和教育文化。通过亲身实践学习计算，有可能为代表不足的群体和少数群体打开STEM领域和职业的大门。然而，先前的研究证明，挑战依然存在；例如，制作人空间中的妇女人数仍然很低，专业制作人社区只是间接地被纳入STEM教育。该项目将有助于更广泛的国家利益，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家业余人员在内的学习，将亲身实践转化为可持续的模式。

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.