Makerspace or Maker(-): Making Culture as an Alternative Society to Mass Consumption

Abstract

We are in the midst of a never-ending paradigm shift of standards and insights in a technology-focused educational structure that is constantly developing. Because of the democratization of information with widespread use of the Internet, the organization of educational processes has
loosened its effectiveness of existing hierarchical structures. Education once was a one-way communication between the teacher and the students, and has transformed into an experience-oriented structure with a multi-faceted communication. One of the most common implementation examples of today’s experience-oriented education component is the Makerspace, which is rapidly becoming widely celebrated in educational societies [1]. Makerspace can be defined as common spaces where participants create practical projects that will reinforce their knowledge and skills based on their internal motivations. However, makerspaces can move away from the basic principles that led to their existence and become the consumers of life, not the producers of life. When it comes to the use of makerspace in educational content, some confrontational social and ethical responsibilities arise. In this article, the author discusses the necessary content components which would be required for an efficient use of Makerspaces based on the experiences in the VA455 Physical Computing course being given at Sabanci University. During this course, students are introduced several topics about how to integrate the use of computational systems by utilizing various physical sensors to create interactive art and design projects. In this paper, while the discussions focus on the nature of makerspaces, the author aims to illustrate emerging educational paradigms in the intersection of using technology as a socializing platform for various interest groups.