General Card #653
WIP - Tool Scavenger Hunt with Maker/Fabrication Project
Summary
Included is a protocol where students find and research maker tools on a campus. The tools are used to build a school specific maker/fabrication project.
Description
Purpose: As a way to increase maker/fabrication success of incoming freshmen, they are exposed to the various tools available on campus via a low pressure scavenger hunt. Students then use various tools, including the ones they had to "find", to build a project of the instructor's choosing.
This card was inspired by B-Fab Workshop 2019 and FIT Makers Subnet Initiative. - Tool Scavenger Hunt w/ maker/fabrication project.
Name of class: This tool is delivered in EGE1001 – Fundamentals of Engineering Design Projects. All engineering students are required to take this freshmen level course. The course is divided into individual assignments and team-related projects. Some of the more advanced projects require the use of fabrication tools (machine shop/wood shop). Classical maker tools (3D printers) are not introduced until sophomore year. However, students must learn where maker tools are located within their own academic department.
Curiosity
- Demonstrate constant curiosity about our changing world
Incoming freshmen do not have the same breadth of knowledge or building experience when it comes to common or advanced fabrication or maker tools. The scavenger hunts begins to exercise that curiosity by exposing students to the various tools available at their school. By tying in a maker/fabrication project with the scavenger hunt, the students get to develop mastery of these tools.
- Explore a contrarian view of accepted solution
The maker/fabrication project is a build to learn process that allows students to build and fail in a safe environment. Student teams do not fail if their project fails (see grading rubric in the maker/fabrication documentation included in this card). This experience allows students to increase their dispositional, epistemic, and diversive curiosity. As such, they begin to consider how things could be done differently or better.
Connections
- Integrate information from many sources to gain insight
The scavenger hunt piece has each student "find" and understand the logistics and usage of a tool(s). The class, as a whole, shares their tool information with all students. Each student then creates a "tool" catalog thereby integrating information from many sources to gain insight. This tool catalog can be used throughout a student's academic career at school; the knowledge can be applied to future projects.
- Assess and manage risk
As previously mentioned under Curiosity, novice builders start to build neural connections and begin to understand the nuisances between maker/fabrication tool selection and usage. Tool mastery skillset becomes tool mastery mindset as students begin to think about unintended consequences of not selecting the correct tool or material.
Creating Value
- Identify unexpected opportunities to create extraordinary value
Students must be introduced to and master the tools needed to attain higher level design, an entrepreneurial mindset, and value creation skills. Without a thorough understanding of engineering tools, technical feasibility is muted thereby reducing the ability of the engineer to create extraordinary value for the customer.
- Persist through and learn from failure
The mastering of engineering tools is directly related to the "art" of using the tool and learning from failure.
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