Making and the Maker Movement in the Learning Sciences

Makerspaces, and STEM Studios are growing in relevance in educational settings all over the world. Understanding the complexity of the learning situations in informal makerspaces contributes to discussions about interdisciplinarity, learning spaces, and creativity. The purpose of this chapter is to be provocative about the links between makerspaces, epistemologies, and the Learning Sciences. It discusses makerspaces, the collaboration and connections inherent in making and the maker movement, and the connections with ways of knowing and understanding from which research about making draws in the Learning Sciences. The chapter uses this structure to then identify core design considerations for the inclusion of making and makerspaces in formal educational settings and raise further questions related to assessment, ethics, and future research in this area.