Deploying computation-based Making projects in authentic public school classrooms at scale: Lessons learned

Abstract

Making has historically encompassed electronics and digital fabrication technologies. Increasingly, Making projects have started incorporating computational aspects. For example, a microprocessor board is attached to electronics and 3D-printed components so that they can be programmed to perform certain functions. Adding computation to Making enables a creation to become more dynamic and interactive. However, incorporating computation into Making also increases the difficulty of integrating Making into formal educational settings not only because students need to handle an additional set of skills and concepts, but also in terms of the additional overhead in preparation. This work deployed computationally-based Making activities in authentic 5th and 6th grade (ages 10 to 12) science classrooms with 442 students in a public school in the United States for one year. Our research adopts the Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology, and this paper presents insights from our retrospective process of reflection, especially in terms of the challenges of integrating computation-based Making in the school context. Our findings indicate four key challenges to incorporate computation-based Making projects in the formal public school context on a sustained basis; achieving balance between science, Making, and computational thinking, making connections between these distinct concepts apparent, organizational and operational issues, and the delivery of designed lesson plans. Despite these challenges, we believe the potential for a positive impact is large. We make two primary contributions; a comprehensive description of an at-scale computation-based Making project as well as learnings for future Making work in formal educational settings.