Designing an Interdiciplinary Course in a Makerspace-Towards collaborative creativity for a sustainable society

Abstract

The study explored how to developanelective, interdisciplinary course in a makerspace. The study highlighted the potentials and pitfalls in the transitional space between institutionalised and research-based higher education in relation to the free maker movement. The identified success criteria to set up an elective, interdisciplinary course in a makerspace were connected to the following central concepts: problem, practice, product, bodies of knowledge, critique, scientific discourse, methods, earlier knowledge, personal experienceand organisational processes. The study showed how the makerspace elective course can contribute positively to student life by strengthening inclusion, a feeling of belonging, study enjoyment and interdisciplinarity skills in a professional setting. These qualities form a value-based conceptual framework for student active learning that can enable creativity and collaboration, which are essential twenty-first-century skills for amore sustainable society.