The LBJ Institute for STEM Education & Research at Texas State University launched a three-year research study to examine how university Maker Spaces might affect student identity formation and self-efficacy, and how these experiences can be leveraged to serve as a potential pathway to engineering. The primary experimental work for this research aims to: 1) discover key concepts and principles that particularly enable a more diverse group of students to leverage creativity and innovation toward success in engineering careers; 2) discover specific learning models that involve both STEM university students and pre-service teachers in order to develop teamwork, self-efficacy, communication, and identity formation in the Maker environment; 3) pilot instruments to measure the impact of such programs on students’ self-efficacy, communication, and identity formation and 4) understand to what extent students who use the maker space for a class project become regular users of the space. This paper reports on the progress and findings from the first year of implementation. Maker Space user log in data will be analyzed as will preliminary results of student surveys. Further, the paper will describe the integration of making-based projects into engineering design and educational technology courses.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6235-0706
Texas State University
[biography]
Dr. Kimberly G. Talley is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology, Bobcat Made Makerspace Director at Texas State University, and a licensed Professional Engineer. She received her Ph.D. and M.S.E. from the University of Texas at Austin in Structural Engineering. Her undergraduate degrees in History and in Construction Engineering and Management are from North Carolina State University. Dr. Talley teaches courses in the Construction Science and Management and Civil Engineering Technology Programs, and her research focus is in student engagement and retention in engineering and engineering technology education. Contact: talley@txstate.edu
Araceli Martinez Ortiz, PhD., is Research Associate Professor of Engineering Education in the College of Education at Texas State University. She leads a comprehensive research agenda related to issues of curriculum and instruction in engineering education, motivation and preparation of under served populations of students and teachers and in assessing the impact of operationalizing culturally responsive teaching in the STEM classroom. As executive director of the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research, she collaborates on various state and national STEM education programs and is PI on major grant initiatives through NASA MUREP and NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education and NSF DUE . Araceli holds Engineering degrees from The University of Michigan and Kettering University. She holds a Masters degree in Education from Michigan State and a PhD in Engineering Education from Tufts University.
Dr. Vedaraman Sriraman is a Piper Professor and University Distinguished Professor of Engineering Technology at Texas State University. He has served as the Associate Director of the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research at Texas State University. Dr. Sriraman's degrees are in Mechanical and Industrial engineering. His research interests are in engineering education, sustainability, and applied statistics. In the past, he has implemented several grants from the NSF, NASA and SME-EF. Dr. Sriraman has served as the faculty advisor to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the American Foundry Society and the Society of Women Engineers and as the Foundry Educational Foundation Key professor. He has also received several teaching awards at Texas State University. Currently, Dr. Sriraman serves as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas State University.
Dr. Shaunna Smith is a STEM Specialist and Liaison for STEM Pre-Academy, which is a part of the University of Hawai‘i System, Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. She focuses on providing STEM education support for Hawai‘i middle school teachers.
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