Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging for Fab Labs and makerspaces where the use of digital fabrication machines and working with physical materials in collaboration with others are at the heart of the activities. We have been actively promoting children's technology education both by training local teachers and by working with children themselves. The restrictions have resulted in limiting the number of participants or moving to online working, or even closing the workspaces and cancelling the events. To continue our work, we needed to explore new solutions for the situation. We have provided online training for teachers, experimented with working in family groups and fully online, while access to the digital fabrication machines and children's engagement in online activities were the largest challenges we encountered. We report in this paper our experiences with different solutions as well as challenges we have faced, both as regards technology education of children and collecting research data related to that.
Highlights
When COVID-19 entered our lives in spring 2020, the restrictions that followed caused many challenges in the education and everyday life of children and adults alike (e.g., Iivari et al, 2020; Antle & Frauenberger, 2020)
Standard tools used in fab labs are digital fabrication machines, i.e., such machines that are able to produce a physical object from a software model designed in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) application using additive of manufacturing processes; examples of those machines are a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, or a 3D printer
We developed a hybrid teaching approach in which teaching of design software and principles for controlling the digital fabrication machines was done remotely, while the students could come to the Fab Lab if they wanted to fabricate something
Summary
When COVID-19 entered our lives in spring 2020, the restrictions that followed caused many challenges in the education and everyday life of children and adults alike (e.g., Iivari et al, 2020; Antle & Frauenberger, 2020). Standard tools used in fab labs are digital fabrication machines, i.e., such machines that are able to produce a physical object from a software model designed in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) application using additive of manufacturing processes; examples of those machines are a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, or a 3D printer Driving force behind both spaces is their community members, who share their expertise and knowledge and have a common interest in do-it-yourself activities. Because of the COVID-19 restrictions, the teachers/ instructors in Oulu Fab Labs had to quickly adapt to the sudden new changes by making changes to the existing learning materials and embracing alternative pedagogical methods. This resulted in a high workload for the teachers/instructors.
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