The Science of Learning

We spend a lot of time helping children learn things, but how much time do we spend thinking about how to best do that? In “The Science of Learning”, we’ll explore what research says about how we best learn. Most importantly, we’ll find out how we can apply theories and research to our real lives as parents, mentors, teachers, and learners.

If you follow “education trends” recently, you’ve probably heard of makerspaces or the maker movement. They have been touted as innovative educational tools that increase children’s understanding and application of theoretical education. However, all those buzzwords can make it hard to determine what making is truly about. That’s what we’ll be exploring today!

First, what does it mean to “make”? In the context of makerspaces, making means students are working to create something tangible with their knowledge in a hands-on, creative way (Makerspace for Education).  The idea behind makerspaces is grounded in constructionist theories of education, which state that we learn best through experiencing and doing. Makerspaces are usually collaborative and may even have fancy tools like 3-D printers, machines, and tools to assist in making (Makerspaces). However, as long as students have supplies to build and a welcoming environment to work and test in, that area could be a makerspace. Students might build circuit boards, design rocket ships, craft robots, and more!

Now that we know what “making” and “makerspaces” are, we can investigate how they help children learn. Primarily, they encourage the development of transferable skills that will aid students throughout the rest of their lives. In the process of designing and creating items based on the theoretical knowledge they learn in traditional settings, students learn to think critically, problem solve, and self-direct their learning. When done right, makerspaces also illustrate for students why they need to learn what they do. For instance, instead of just telling students to build “x”, many makerspaces will present a problem, such as food waste or collecting and filtering rainwater, and ask students to design their own solution based on what they know. This builds independence in learning, but more importantly, it demonstrates that learning and making allow students to impact the world around them (Meaningful Making) Most makerspaces are collaborative, meaning students additionally gain experience in working and creating within groups.

Of course, given present circumstances, children might not be heading into a real workshop. But if you or a student you know are interested in making, there are many ways you can set up a makerspace in your own home! The following resources can help you get started:

• Maker Monday: sets of weekly challenges and resources for beginning to make

• Brilliant Labs' Maker Fun: daily challenges and thought-provoking questions from a Canadian organization

• Make Projects: catalogue of projects done by community members + resources to begin making on your own

Happy making!