Abstract
This systematic literature review addresses strongly on makerspaces in schools. An evaluation of literature about their status-quo shows qualitative and quantitative knowledge gaps in the relatively new field of makerspaces in and used by schools according to infrastructure, funding, and administration. A taxonomy concerning physical existing makerspaces in schools and used by schools including parameters like location, responsibilities, financing, instructors, users, time restrictions, and feasible maker activities is developed. Two different electronic journal databases, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and ScienceDirect, acted as source for this literature review. Most of this existing literature concentrates on the educational maker activities and only some feature additional information like the physical space, the financing or else. Nonetheless, these rare findings suggest four main categories of real-world makerspaces used for educational pur-poses in schools: External makerspaces, school makerspaces, open makerspaces located in schools, and temporary (Pop-up) makerspaces. Furthermore, we identified the need for investigations on the question of open makerspaces located in schools and the financial and organizational structure to operate them.
Highlights
Literacy used to be the ability to read and write but became so much more during the last century
Out of the 31 valid publications two address only virtual spaces for making activities like programming [4, 18] which will not be further discussed in this work. 22 papers mention physical makerspaces
[29] We truly endorse this statement of Ensign and Leupold because it proves the difficulty to categorize makerspaces as a whole and still leads to an approach to classify makerspaces used in a school context with reference to the location
Summary
Literacy used to be the ability to read and write but became so much more during the last century. 1.1 The maker movement “The Maker Movement is a technological and creative evolution that has limitless implications for the world of education.” [30] But how is this evolution implemented in schools? Do schools have makerspaces where maker education takes place? Papavlasopoulou et al assessed the “Maker Movement and its emerging role in formal and informal education” [30] when they evaluated 43 empirical studies dated from 2011 to 2014 focusing on the making process and its effect on a successful learning experience. All but one studies took place in schools and the activities, duration, age of the participants and used materials were systematically documented. The physical space – the makerspace – where the activities took place, its infrastructure and machinery were not considered. As 3D printing is a characteristic technology in makerspaces [33] it shows the need for further studies on makerspaces in educational contexts
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