STEM, STEAM, Make, Design
Dr. Clifford Choy
School of Design, PolyU
mccliff@polyu.edu.hk
11 Oct 2016

STEM Education

STEM Education (1)
• Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
• According to EDB (2015, Dec):
• We aim to further develop among students a strong knowledge base in step
with the latest changes in these disciplines, and strengthen their ability to
integrate and apply knowledge and skills, so as to nurture their creativity and
innovation, collaboration and problem solving skills, which are essential
skills and qualities required in the 21st century. The learning activities of
STEM education also help students develop the essential qualities associated
with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Educational Development Bureau (2015, Dec) On-going Renewal of the School Curriculum – Focusing, Deepening and Sustaining: An
Overview. Retrieved from http://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/curriculum-development/renewal/Overview_e_2015Dec.pdf

STEM Education (2)
• Creativity and Innovation
• … creativity as the capability or act of conceiving something original or unusual,
while innovation is the implementation or creation of something new that has
realized value to others
• Creativity isn't necessarily innovation
• Entrepreneurial Spirit
• … is a mindset. It’s an attitude and approach to thinking that actively seeks out
change, rather than waiting to adapt to change
• … is also associated with taking calculated risks, and sometimes failing
• Problem solving
• What about problem identification?

http://all-that-is-interesting.com/mankinds-most-useless-inventions
http://www.imore.com/iphone-6s-plus

STEAM Education

STEAM
Yakman, G. (2008). STEAM education: An overview of creating a model of integrative education. In Pupils' Attitudes Towards
Technology (PATT-19) Conference: Research on Technology, Innovation, Design & Engineering Teaching, Salt Lake City, Utah,
USA.

STEAM
• STEM + Arts
• Arts - “ How society develops,
impacts, is communicated and
understood with its attitudes and
customs in the past, present and
future “
• Society, culture, belief, religion,
politics, …
http://www.petronastwintowers.com.my/facts

Making

Making
• Turning ideas into tangible/perceivable form
• Materials, Tools, Processes
• Not merely about production and fabrication, but also involves self-learning,
problem-solving, exploration, experimentation and critical thinking
• Learn, create, share
• Do-it-yourself (DIY) with others
• Not just in local communities in old days, but through Internet to collaborate with people
around the world
• Do-it-yourself (DIY) with technology
• Do-it-with-others (DIWO)
• Not just with hand tools, but with digitally-enabled tools

Make = DIY with Technology
• Online platforms for learning, sharing and acquiring resources

Make = DIY with Technology
• Personal and digital fabrication

Make = DIY with Technology

Make = DIY with Technology
• Materials, components, modules, systems
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/08/softkinetic-brings-depthsense-
range-sensor-to-gdc-hopes-to-put/

Maker Movement
• Growing culture of hands-on making, creating, designing and
innovating
• Despite its diversity [in makers’ interests], the movement is unified by
a shared commitment to open exploration, intrinsic interests and
creative ideas
• When I talk about the maker movement, I make an effort to stay
away from the word “inventor” – most people just don’t identify
themselves that way. “Maker”, on the other hand, describes each
one of us no matter how we live our lives, or what our goals might
be.
Peppler, K., Bender, S. (2013) Maker movement spreads innovation one project at a time. Kappan, v95, N3,
pp22-27. Retrieved from http://www.kyliepeppler.com/Docs/2013_Peppler_Maker_Movement.pdf
Dougherty, D. (2012). The Maker Movement. Innovations, v7, n3, pp11-14

MakerFaire Hong Kong 2015 (28-29 Nov 2015)

MakerFaire Hong Kong 2015 (28-29 Nov 2015)

FabFest Boston (8-9 Aug 2015)

Maker Faire Hong Kong (28-29 Nov 2015)

Youth in Innovation, San Mateo Innovation Week 2016, 19 May 2016

Who are “makers”?
• DIYers
• Learners
• Hobbyists
• Designers
• Artists
• Inventors
• Entrepreneurs
• Note: only a small percentage of “makers” are entrepreneurs, and many of
them are for fun or leisure

“making”
The Experiential Learning Cycle [Kolb and Kolb, 2005]
Kolb, A., Kolb, D. (2005, May 15) The Kolb Learning Style Inventory – Version 3.1 2005 Technical Specifications. Retrieved from
http://learningfromexperience.com/media/2010/08/tech_spec_lsi.pdf

Attributes developed through Making
• Tinkering, hacking
• Hands-on approach in learning by doing
• Exploration and Experimentation
• Cross-disciplinarity
• Learning through peer and community
• Collaboration
• Skills, craftsmanship, patience
• Learning through sharing to community
• “can-do” mindset
• Live with failures

http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/faq-for-maker-portfolios

Executive Office of the President, The White House, Washington (2014, June) Building a Nation of Makers: Universities and Colleges in Pledge to
Expand Opportunities to Make. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/building_a_nation_of_makers.pdf

Design

PolyU Design
www.sd.polyu.edu.hk

Why Design?
• “Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into
preferred ones.”
• “… design … makes ideas tangible, it [design] takes abstract thoughts and inspirations and makes
something concrete.”
• Designers think through making
(Herbert Simon, 1981, as cited by John Hesket, 2009)
(Mat Hunter, 2014)
Heskett, J. (2009). Creating Economic Value by Design. International Journal of Design, v3, n1. Retrieved from:
http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/477/243
Hunter, M (2014) What is Design and Why it matters? Retrieved on 5 May 2015 from http://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/uk-creative-overview/news-and-
views/view-what-is-design-and-why-it-matters

http://www.rachelreynard.com/design-process/
“making”

Analysis-Synthesis Bridge Model (Dubberly and Evenson, 2011)
Dubberly, H., Evenson, S. (2011) Design as Learning - or 'Knowledge Creation' - the SECI Model. Interactions. Jan+Feb 2011, pp 75-79.
Retrieved from https://interactions.acm.org/archive/view/january-february-2011/design-as-learning-or-knowledge-creation-the-seci-model1
“making”

https://sheilapontis.wordpress.com/2015/06/04/design-thinking-revised/
“making”

Why Design?
• Problem exploration (clarification) and solution exploration
• Less on what you can do, but more on why you should do
• Understanding users
• Not exactly ”problems”, but also “opportunities”, “insights”, “issues”
• More meaningful if making is associated with people, not just making
for the sake of making

Meaning in Making
• “Making” should be based on intrinsic interests
• How to make it meaningful to students when making?
• How to develop their abilities to “empathize”?
• Four Levels of Making:
• Making for self
• Fun, self-use, solve your own problem, …
• Making for someone you are familiar
• For your best friend, for your parents, …
• Making for others
• For your classmates, for your neighbors, …
• Making for social good
• For disadvantaged group, for local community, for sustainability, for change, ….
• “Making” provides an engaging way for individual to learn and apply STEAM knowledge

How to make?
What can be made?
What to make?
Why to make?
STEM, STEAM, Make and Design
• Knowing possibilities with personal and
digital fabrication technologies (strength
and limitations with each ”technology”,
what can be done by combining multiple
of those)
• Develop tacit knowledge in using
different materials, tools, processes
• Understanding “users”, identifying opportunities
• Evaluate, identify issues and improve
STEM/STEAM
Design

Supporting infrastructure

Infrastructure to Support Making
• Space, tools, machines
• Tinkerspace, Makerspace, Hackerspace, Fab Lab
• Traditional tools
• Digital Fabrication lab, techshop
• Software (e.g. Blender, GIMP, Rhino, …)
• Materials, kits, platforms
• E.g. Material Resource Centre (PolyU JCIT 5-th floor)
(http://www.sd.polyu.edu.hk/en/j.c.-innovation-tower/material-resource-
centre), Strawbees (www.strawbees.com), Arduino
• Learning resources
• Blogs, tutorials, discussion forums, youtube, ….
• E.g. Instructables, Adafruits, Stackoverflow, …
• Sharing and collaborative platforms
• Git, WordPress, Google doc, Google hangout, YouTube, Vimeo, …
• Events for sharing of knowledge
• Exhibitions, science fair, fun fair, Maker Faire

Supporting infrastructure
Space, tools, machines, materials

Makerspace, Hackerspace, Fab Lab
• A space for all people to come to access to tools, usually under a
membership system, and may have membership fee
• Organize workshops/seminars for knowledge sharing
• Attract talents and those who are willing to learn
• Promote physical interactions, exchange of knowledge and ideas,
collaborations
• A community of practice of makers, which in turn attracts people who
would like to get help from makers (e.g. those represent local needs)

Futureward@Tatung
University, Taipei

CITRIS Invention Lab@UC Berkeley, Berkeley (1)

CITRIS Invention Lab@UC Berkeley, Berkeley (2)

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/axent-wear-cat-ear-headphones#/

Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation@UC
Berkeley, Berkeley

TechShop Tokyo

Fab Labs
• Fab Lab program from Neil Gershenfeld, Centre of Bits and Atoms,
MIT
• Since 2002
• More than 700 registered worldwide, some in rural areas
• A small scale workshop to support digital fabrication
• Provide a physical hub for people to meet
• Provide an online hub for people to contribute knowledge and share ideas

http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/the-fab-charter/

https://www.fablabs.io/map

https://www.fablabs.io/
Large Format Machining
Molding and Casting
Laser Cutting and Engraving
Video Conferencing
Vinyl Cutting
Precision Milling
3D Scanning and PrintingProgramming and Design
Electronics Production

Other Similar Establishments
• Others
• Make Lab
• Digital prototyping labs
• Hacker space
• Tinkering space
• In Hong Kong
• Few privately run (DimSum Lab, Lab by Dimension+, MakerBay, Makelab, …),
more coming, but tends to be like incubator or accelerator
• Tends to be scattered and uncoordinated
• Compare to >200 in ShenZhen

Some Use Cases for Makerspace/Fab Lab
• Talk, demo, workshop
• Different types of privilege and abilities for members
• Scrap materials for others to use
• Volunteers willing to work in exchange for free use
• Come to explore and have fun, may be newcomers, may be members
• Come to look for collaborators
• Want to prototype for a potentially commercializable product
• Want to share what they have learned, and/or have made

Supporting infrastructure
Events for sharing of knowledge

Maker Faire
• A family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness
• For makers to gather, show what they have made and share what they have learned
• To demonstrate what is possible
• To exchange knowledge and ideas
• To inspire
• Part of science fair, part of fun fair
• You can perform/demonstrate “crazy” things
• NOT “Book Fair”, “Computer Fair”, “Animation-Comic and Game Fair” in Hong Kong
• NOT a trade fair dominated by traditional sales and marketing
• NOT an invention show, NOT a technology expo
• NOT a competition

Maker Faire
• First launch in Bay Area, USA, in 2006
• In 2014, 119 independently-produced Mini and 14 Featured Maker Faires
around the world, including Tokyo, Rome, Detroit, Oslo and Shenzhen
• 215,000 people attended the two flagship Maker Faires in the Bay Area and
New York in 2014
• 150,000 people attended Maker Faire Bay Area in 2016
• Promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics)
education

What do you expect in Maker Faire?
• Makers show-and-tell their works/projects
• Presentation
• Demonstration/Performance
• Hands-on activities
• Workshops

www.makerfairehongkong.com

Maker Faire Hong Kong 2015 (28-29 Nov 2015)

Maker Faire Hong
Kong 2015 (28-29
Nov 2015)

Supports Three Broad Stages of Makers
• Zero to Maker
• Arouse interest of those with no experience in making to become a maker
• In Maker Faire: Through hands-on activities, through workshops, through inspiring
talks, through inspiring works from other makers
• Maker to Maker
• Sharing of knowledge between makers
• Collaborate and access to others’ expertise
• Work together on shared platforms
• In Maker Faire: Through show-and-tell their projects, through offering hands-on
activities and organizing workshops, through interact with visitors and other makers
• Maker to Market
• Some creations of makers have commercial appeal and get into the market
• In Maker Faire: Through presenting their journey to other makers, through collecting
feedbacks from visitors on their creations
Hagel, J. Brown, J,, Kulasooriya, D. (2014) A Movement in the Making. Deloitte University Press. Retrieved from
http://dupress.com/articles/a-movement-in-the-making/

Some Facts on Maker Faire Hong Kong 2015
• www.makerfairehongkong.com
• More than 200 makers participated
• More than 170 exhibits/activities/workshops/talks show-cased/delivered
• Estimated 15,000 per day on average visited
• 4 local primary schools, 8 local secondary schools, and 1 international
school participated; more schools are interested and will join next year
• Makers come from HK, Taiwan, mainland China, Japan, France, Barcelona,
UK
• From embroidery to robotics, from amateur/hobbyists to professionals

Some observations
• Most HK people have no concept on a “fair” during which people share
their works and knowledge
• General impression - “Fair” is about selling things only
• We have makers who are good at crafts and would like to apply technology,
but don’t know how. We have makers who are good in technology, but
don’t know how they can be used to create objects which are useful and
appealing.
• Many teachers have difficulties in understanding why they have to
participate in Maker Faire
• This is not a competition. Why join? What benefits? What they may gain?
• Many teachers do not talk to those in different disciplines
• Many teachers do not know what is “Design” (thought that it is about
making things prettier), and haven’t heard of “Design Thinking”

Maker Faire Hong Kong 2017
• 8 and 9 Apr 2017 (Sat and Sun)
• Plan to have 250 booths, and 60,000 visitors
• More schools and universities, local and overseas
• Activities to engage with local schools and communities
• Would like to see a lot of interesting maker projects from schools,
especially those originated from students

How can students participate? (1)
• Show-and-tell interesting inventions or art/craft, or
demonstrate interesting works/experiments
• Gain confidence through show-and-tell and interacting with visitors
of a wide range of backgrounds
• Practice their presentation and communication skills
• Prepare to communicate to visitors who speak in Cantonese, Putonghua and English
• Suitable for students in primary and secondary levels
• No need to be something award-winning or revolutionary, just
something creative and/or demonstrate resourcefulness

How can students participate? (2)
• Lead or support workshops to teach others how to
make something:
• Gain confidence through interacting with others,
especially helping others to learn
• Learn more when teaching others
• Practice communication skills
• Suitable for students in secondary levels

How can teachers participate? (1)
• Deliver workshops
• Engage parents and possibly other kids in making, thereby helping to promote
maker culture (zero to maker)
• Share new techniques of making to others, and get feedback from others and
find collaborators
• Share experience in promoting STEAM education
• Share experience and good practice
• Connect with other teachers/educators/makers and share resources

Nerdy Derby

Hebocon 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOi-pvVQokk

Wooden Go-Kart

Bamboo Pavilion

Let’s Build Something Really
Big Together
http://www.instructables.com/id/Cardboard-
Minion-Halloween-costume/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Buil
d-Ironman-Mark-VI-out-of-makedo-
and-cardboard-/
http://www.kit-rex.com/new-page-1/

Supporting infrastructure
Sharing and collaborative platforms

http://www.protospace.nl/fabmoments/rolbox
http://www.protospace.nl/fabmoments
http://fablab.waag.org/how-to-document

Glossary

Inspirations on Maker Projects and for Maker
Education (1)
• Instructables (http://www.instructables.com/)
• MAKE magazine (http://makezine.com/)
• Adafruit (https://www.adafruit.com/)
• Sparkfun (https://www.sparkfun.com/)
• DesignSpark (http://www.rs-online.com/designspark/electronics/)

Inspirations on Maker Projects and for Maker
Education (2)
• Meaningful Making: Projects and Inspirations for FabLabs and
Makerspaces (http://fablearn.stanford.edu/fellows/page/meaningful-
making-book)
• STEM inc (http://www.steminc.sg/)
• Interview of Mr. Gopal on 27 Jun 2016 (https://youtu.be/hyz7bhM7fao)
• Presentation in MFSG 2015 (https://youtu.be/1teVkz59qq4)
• Maker City Playbook (https://makercitybook.com)
• Fab City Initiative (http://fab.city/)

Inspirations on Maker Projects and for Maker
Education (3)
• Themes:
• Agriculture
• Well-being (youth, elderly)
• Health care
• Transportation
• Energy
• Plastic
• Sustainable materials
• Disadvantaged

Questions?
mccliff@polyu.edu.hk