Share Paper: Extending the Museum Experience through Makerspaces

  1. Glen Bull, University of Virginia, United States
  2. David Slykhuis, University of Northern Colorado, United States
  3. James Rutter, University of Virginia, United States
Thursday, March 21 2:15-2:30 PM Celebrity 2

Abstract: Makerspaces offer opportunities to extend the museum experience. The Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) and the Make to Learn coalition are collaborating with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to develop Invention Kits that enable students to reconstruct working models of transformational inventions in the Smithsonian’s collections. The Make to Learn Invention Kits developed through this initiative proved to significantly enhance student learning when implemented in a formal school setting under the supervision of an experienced teacher. The Make to Learn Invention Kits and associated resources developed through this initiative are now available on the Smithsonian’s ...