Makerspaces are physical locations where students, teachers, and community members come together to create, design, invent, and problem solve. “The development of a makerspace within the library allows students to build, experiment, work together in projects, and learn from volunteers in the community who are interested in helping students create” (Coatney & Woolls, 2018, p. 26). One way makerspaces impact learning is through critical thinking skills. It helps students to look at all the facts and analyze the problem by providing continuous solutions to figure out what works and what does not work. It also allows students to have the capabilities to collaborate in peer-to-peer learning or be self-directed which leads them to be in control of their learning. Not only does it allow for student collaboration, but for educators to plan and collaborate with other educators to execute hands-on projects that incorporate science and technology to meet academic standards. Through makerspaces, students have the opportunities to develop 21st century skills through technology, hands-on learning, creation, exploring different design thinking approaches, and using higher order problem solving skills which all support real world learning. According to Robertson (2019), makerspaces in libraries help meet the AASL qualities of well-prepared learners and dynamic school libraries by connecting academic knowledge and creating a deeper understanding within these spaces.
References
Coatney, S., & Woolls, B. (2018). The School Library Manager: Surviving and Thriving. ABC-CLIO, LLC.
Makerspace Impact on Student Learning, Success, and Education. (n.d.). KeepnTrack. Retrieved January 16, 2022, from
https://www.keepntrack.com/makerspace-impact-student-learning/
Freeman, A., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Davis, A., and Hall Giesinger, C. (2017).
NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2017 K–12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media
Consortium.
Robertson, N. D. (2019, November/December). Expanding School Library Collections:
The Makerspace Edition. Knowledge Quest, 48(2), 8-14. ERIC.
Julian, K. D., & Parrott, D. J. (2017). Makerspaces in the Library: Science in a Student's
Hands. Journal of Learning Spaces, 6(2), 1-9. ERIC.
Makerspace. (2014–2021). [Photograph]. Makerspaces.com. https://www.makerspaces.com/makerspace-guide-school-and-library/
