Smart Textile as a Creative Environment to Engage Girls in Technology

Abstract

In the context of the convergening media technologies, the concept of mobile media embedded in wearable material was introduced. The terms of Wearable Computing, Fashionable Technology, and Smart Textile became key words at the intersection of media, art, design, computer science, engineering and the shaping of technology by the users themselves. Though media artists and designers explore wearable computing for some time now, only little research has been undertaken into Smart Textile in education in Germany (e.g., the after school workshop program held at DiMeB at the University of Bremen). However, Smart Textile is not common at school, especially not in the context of artistic processes in general MINT (MINT is a German acronym for the subjects of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Technology) education in classroom settings. In order to research the interplay of electronic textiles, wearable technology, hard and software tools, such as the Arduino LilyPad, a programmable board designed for stitching into clothing and flexible applications, are scrutinized. In the research project, contemporary media art works in the field of Fashionable Technology are explored to inpire interdisciplinary technology education form an artistic perspective. A learning-through-design-approach using electronic media for sewing, hacking the traditional model of technology education (Reimann, Daniela, Fütterer Werner, Biefang, & Sebastian, 2010). In the paper, the conceptual framework for the research project “Artistic approaches to Engage Girls and Young Women in Technology and Engineering in Education at School and University (Acronym: IBP-GirlsLab)” is presented. It aims to engage girls in technology and engineering by integrating artistic processes as well as a more playcentric approach to technology and engineering education in order to engage girls in shaping technology, is discussed.