Maker-Centered Learning

Chapter 1Exploring the Benefits of Maker-Centered Learning

When the Agency by Design research project got under way in 2012, the buzz around the maker movement was on the rise, and discussions about the benefits of maker-centered learning were beginning to mount. New to this domain ourselves, our first instinct was to turn to the hundreds of short articles about the maker movement and maker-centered learning appearing in the popular press to gain a better understanding of the proposed benefits and outcomes of this new educational trend.¹ With titles like “School for Hackers,” “Makerspaces in Libraries, Education, and Beyond,” “Maker Spaces and the Learning Commons,” and “DIY or Die: Why We Need to Teach Kids Practical Skills,” the articles we ...