Developing Open Access Materials to Support Professional Learning: Taking Making into Classrooms Toolkit and Companion Online Experience

Abstract

Globally, t he Maker Movement has been steadily gaining traction in educational settings as a way of preparing fo r the 4 th Industrial Revolution . Combined with a Design Thinking process, it invites educators and students to engage in active production rather than passive consumption of products, media, materials and objects and consider innovative practices (Martinez & Stager, 2013) . In British Columbia, Canada, Design and Making ha ve been used to reframe the previous shop class experience (now Applied Design, Skills and Technologies – ADST) which is viewed as both a curriculum to be studied and a pedagogical approach to encourage and support innovative teaching and learning. ADST builds “ on students' natural curiosity, inventiveness, and desire to create in meaningful ways . It harnesses the power of learning by doing, and provides the challenging fun that inspires students to dig deeper, work with big ideas, and adapt to a changing world ” (British Columbia Ministry of Education, 2015 , ¶1 ). The Taking Making into Classrooms Toolkit and supporting online experience were created in partnership with industry, higher education, and government . These open access resources were designed to assist educators in taking up the ADST curriculum through immersive professi onal learning experiences and self - study.// Paper ID 74