The Maker Movement… What’s Next?
The way students learn has changed, the way professors teach has changed, so it only makes sense that the environments in which students and teachers engage in today, have also changed.
Kip Ellis and Toni Loiacano of EYP discuss the effect of the maker movements new goals and the design of space to intrigue the student and promote collaboration in this era of change and innovation.
The “Maker Movement” is well underway, and active or aspirant members of the Creative Class are merging the roles of Inventor, Artist, Scientist and Entrepreneur in an active, hands-on approach to problem solving. These more integrated thinker-doers are undaunted by challenges, and empowered by the knowledge that a collective collaboration among people with different skills, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds offers the best hope for finding solutions.
The Maker experience represents a profound change in how things are being created today, and designing the spaces that encourage this new kind of collaboration is rewarding. The formal boundaries and divisions between people of different backgrounds and skills are not only dissolved by the Creative Class, they are informed by the interaction brought about by diversity of ideas, experience, and contribution to advancement. There are no free rides for the Creative Class, however, and no pre-determined outcomes when facing challenges. Nonetheless, the experience of Making offers great hope for creating a better world through innovation, and the ultimate beneficiaries of these efforts will be all of us, together.
