Dev Camps are events that enable participants to tackle challenges using software tools and different kinds of hardware devices in collaborative project style activities. The participants conceptualize and develop their solutions in a self-directed way, involving technical, organizational and social skills. In this sense, they are autonomous producers or " makers ". The Dev Camp activity format resonates with skills such as communication, critical thinking, creativity, decision making and planning and can be considered as a bridge between education and industry. In this paper we present and analyze experience from a series of such events that were co-organized between an industrial partner acting as a host and several university partners. We take this as an indication to envision new opportunities for project-based learning in more formal educational scenarios.

1. “From Making to Learning”:
Dev Camps as a Blueprint for
Reinventing Project-based Learning
Irene-Angelica Chounta, Sven Manske, H. Ulrich Hoppe
University of Duisburg-Essen
{chounta, manske, hoppe}@collide.info
http://www.collide.info/

2. Outline
• We present our experience with Dev Camps and
the chance to integrate them into learning
expeditions for fostering 21st century learning skills
• We take up from this example to reflect and to
brainstorm on the ways project-based learning
could adopt and benefit from the maker and Dev
Camps culture

3. Project-based Making
• Project-based learning:
• Engaging learning experiences that involve students in complex, real-
world projects through which they develop and apply skills and
knowledge;
• Learning that requires students to draw from many information sources
and disciplines in order to solve problems;
• Learning in which curricular outcomes can be identified up-front, but in
which the outcomes of the student's learning process are neither
predetermined nor fully predictable experiences through which students
learn to manage and allocate resources such as time and materials.
(Schneider, Synteta and Frété,2002)1
• The maker movement relies on similar principles: a tech-
influenced community of makers established shared spaces ,
and realizing innovative projects
1. Schneider, D., Synteta, P., Frété, C., (2002). Community, Content and Collaboration Management Systems in Education: A new chance for
socio-constructivist scenarios. In: Proceedings of the 3rd Congress on Information and Communication Technologies in Education. pp. 175–
184
2. Dougherty, D. (2012). The maker movement. Innovations, 7(3), 11-14
“When you’re making something, the object you create is a
demonstration of what you’ve learned to do” 2

4. Dev Camps, Makerspaces, Startup
camps
• Dev Camps or similar events are growing popular
especially in technology-oriented areas
• Most of them focus on innovation or the business
plan/success
• Duration of 2-3 days /social aspect is overlooked
• no pedagogical background /learning outcome is
ignored
• Little or no educational framing and systematization of
knowledge
1. Lewin, T.: Web-Era Trade Schools, Feeding a Need for Code, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/us/web-era-trade-schools-feeding-a-need-
for-code.html, (2014).
“….a place where technology outruns education”1

5. Open Challenge
• The transition from informal settings to formal education in
schools, for vocational and workplace learning.
• We see the chance in establishing Dev Camps using software
tools and generally available hardware devices to connect
the idea of making with project-oriented education.
From Dev Camp….
…To classroom

6. Océ DevCamp – Objectives
• The Océ DevCamp aims to informal learning with
blended curricular and extra-curricular goals.
• Projects target to multidisciplinary themes that involve
real-life experience and require a goal-oriented planning.
• This setting motivates students to engage actively in the
creative processes triggered by a project scenario.
• An event that offers a common, sustainable ground for
industry and education to experiment, practice and share
ideas.
• Annual event organized and sponsored by Océ and four
universities, 5 days duration.

7. Océ DevCamp - Format
• The DevCamp provides participants with technical
equipment, project ideas and supervisors
• Participants: students, 20-25 years old, from various
disciplines (25 participants in the 2014 Dev Camp).
• Small teams (4-5 students) are formed based on project
preference, background, nationality, etc.
• R&D projects supervised by senior researchers and coaches
from Océ HR for PM-related skills.
• Participants are collocated, they work inside the Océ R&D
and participate in social activities.
• A project management platform (Redmine -
www.redmine.org/) was used to support students’ practice.

8. Océ DevCamp –Examples
Hardware + Software (H+S):
- AMAR (Augmented Maintenance And Error Recognition): augmented reality as a
tool to support printer operators in locating errors and performing maintenance
- MANUELA (Manual electronic learning for aircontrol): master the Parrot A.R.
Drone
- HR 3D Printing: master the use of a 3D printer
- SmartIES (Smart and Intelligent Environment Sensing): use of a smart system for
monitoring environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity and lighting.
Data Analytics (DA):
- ALiBI (Answer Life’s Burning Question): processing information provided by
social media sites to propose answers to everyday questions of users
- MESCAL (Multifaceted Eurovision Song Contest AnaLysis): exploration of
publicly available data that are published and distributed through social media
or location based services,

9. Océ DevCamp –Examples
Amar
(4/4)
h3rd
(2/4)
Manuela
(5/7)
smartIES
(6/6)
Alibi
(3/5)
Mescal
(3/6)
Participation (%) 100 50 71 100 60 50
Symmetry of
Participation
0.55
(0.55)
0.47
(0.73)
0.57
(0.69)
0.79
(0.79)
0.41
(0.65)
0.55
(0.77)
Changes 338 1012 385 4353 3205 500
Total Files: 267 424 248 96 1141 459
• “H+S projects require more intense face-to-face interaction while DA
projects would be carried out online”  NOT confirmed.
• For the projects smartIES and amar (H+S type) all group members used the
platform
• Not all group members were similarly active (symmetry of participation)
• The symmetry of participation appears to affect number of changes -> the
more asymmetrical is the activity of a team, the less changes this team
commits
Table. Analysis of the activity, as captured by the platform and the svn repository
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
amar hr3d manuela smarties alibi mescal
Changes vs. Symmetry of Participation
symmetry of participation changes

10. Océ DevCamp –Examples
alibi mescal
amar smarties
manuela hr3d
• All groups planned their time
effectively and efficiently and
managed to complete the
tasks required for the project
in an optimal way
• The activity of most groups is
similarly distributed over time
• Projects mescal and hr3d have
a pick of activity on the last
day of the event <->
(symmetrical but) low
participation leads to delays?
DA projects
H+S projects

11. Discussion - From DevCamps to
Learning ExpeditionsDoes it worth it?
Positive Negative
Internal
factors
Strengths
─ Motivation,
creativity, innovation
scaffolding
─ Alternative take on IT
skills
─ New role models
Weaknesses
— No support for
systematization and
standardization of
knowledge
— Need of attractive
incentives for the
participants
External
Factors
Opportunities
— Integration of current
technological trends
in learning scenarios
— Promoting
collaboration and
cooperation
Threats
─ Gender issues or
excessive competition
between participants
─ Deviation from
routine work and
organizational
overhead for
teachers

12. Discussion - From Dev Camps to
Learning Expeditions
• Fostering the IT and 21st century skills is particularly critical
nowadays (“Digital Natives”)
• Adopting the maker culture in the classroom can support
such competencies and even bridge the gap between
industry expectations and academic preparations
• The maker comes with her tools. The tools of the maker are
means of intellectual expression or “expressive objects” 
innovation, creativity
• Are all students “makers”?  knowledge exchange,
collaboration, communication

13. Discussion - From Dev Camps to
Learning Expeditions
What is the role of the teacher?
• Teachers are the content and organization experts  in
charge of the classroom
• The teacher is the process designer for the critical maker
 teacher devcamps/workshops
Further research and studies are necessary…

14. Thank you 
http://www.collide.info/