Centering the Maker in Makerspaces; an Exploratory Study of the University of Nairobi’s Makerspace

Abstract

Makerspaces are creation spaces, equipped with digital fabrication tools and equipment for use by makers. Access to these expensive tools and networks has made makerspaces popular globally. Internationally, universities have acknowledged the significance of makerspaces in academic spaces and introduced them to the university community. The University of Nairobi hosts the UoN makerspace, located at the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Upper Kabete campus. The makerspace is meant to give students access to fabrication tools to enhance learning through a hands-on approach and inspire multidisciplinary collaboration. Despite the rapid growth of makerspaces as open spaces for creativity, innovation, and experiential learning, the role makers play in makerspaces remains unknown. While the need for makerspaces in academia has been well studied, there is limited knowledge of the makers who use the makerspaces. To remedy this gap, the researcher conducted an exploratory study on the makers and their experience in makerspaces. The researcher provides a detailed context and knowledge on Makerspaces, makers, methods, tools, and spaces using a case study of the UoN Makerspace, triangulated with secondary data from other academic makerspaces. The literature review explores the Maker Movement; its history, benefits, and opportunities. The influence of Makerspaces in areas of higher learning is also explored in depth. This qualitative study used exploratory research and participatory design through a process of co-design. Data were collected through observation, key informant interviews, a focused group discussion with UoN Makerspace makers and co-design through an HCD Design Sprint to redesign the "Retr3D Printer". The contribution of this research is both empirical and theoretical. Empirically, the researcher provided an in-depth review of academic makerspaces, maps the makers and engagement process in makerspaces, looked at the making process in makerspaces using Human Centred Design (HCD) then proposes an appropriate model for centring makers in academic makerspaces. The maker was found to be the most important “component” of any makerspace, with the students being the majority makers in the UoN makerspace and other higher education makerspaces in general. It was established that although makers are core to the makerspace, very little attention is given to them. Although collaboration and creativity are key in makerspaces, the UoN Makerspace was engineering-focused with very little collaboration with other members of other disciplines. The research noted a gap in awareness; members from other faculties were not aware of the UoN Makerspace let alone how they could use the facility. The making process was also a challenge to new makers accessing the facility for the first time. The typical making process was too technical (engineering design process), making it hard for non-technical users use of it. There were also concerns about the alternative design thinking processes being time-consuming. The researcher proposed an "HCD Design Sprint" that was quicker and incorporated multidisciplinary teams and used it to create a 3D printer in 4 days. Theoretically, this research paves the way for an in-depth understanding of makers and their experience in Makerspaces.