MAKING, HACKING, AND

THE LIBERAL ARTSRosemary Arneson

University of Mary Washington

June 29, 2014

• Public liberal arts university

• Enrollment: 4500 undergraduate, 500 graduate

• Main campus in Fredericksburg, additional campuses in Stafford and Dahlgren

Dale Glasgow. “Mother’s Blessing of George Washington”

UMW Digital Initiatives

THE UMW THINKLAB• Collaborative effort between the Library,

the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies, and the College of Education

• DTLT and COE supplied equipment and expertise

• The Library provided the space

• We scrounged tables and chairs, and IT had an extra screen lying around

• We didn’t have a committee, and we didn’t ask permission

Why the Library?

• We had the space

• Library is neutral territory

• Library is open nights and weekends

• Library as Wunderkammer

• It’s cool! Libraries are cool!

Cabinet of WondersEngraving from Ferrante Imperato’s Dell’historia naturaleSecond edition, Venice, 1672University Library of Erlangen-Nüremberg

A place where old equipment went to die

BEFORE

A place where dreams come to life.

AFTER

New tables, chairs, and shelves, thanks to the Provost

After 2.0

EQUIPMENT• 1 MakerBot Thingomatic

• 2 MakerBot Replicators

• 1 MakerBot Digitizer

• 2 Printrbot Jrs.

• 1 Printrbot Plus

• Several Dremel's with attachments for various woodworking and tooling

• 2 iMacs and 1 Windows PC

• 2 Singer 2200 sewing machines

ELECTRONICS• Littlebits

• Cubelets

• MakeyMakey

• Raspberry Pi

• Hummingbird

• Arduino Starter Kits

• LilyPad Arduino kits

• Leap Motion Controller

SUPPLIES• Soldering Irons, Solder, and Third Hands Hand Tools

• Wood, Glue, Tape, Foam, Cardboard, and other miscellaneous consumables

• Books and Magazines

• 3-D filament in a variety of colors

• LEDs and batteries

• Fabric, thread, and other sewing supplies

• Conductive thread and conductive paint

AND THE COOLEST WHITEBOARD EVER

Hackers and Hacking

• Hacker: person who is unskilled or inexperienced

• Hack: a way to take advantage of a system’s features in a way not imagined by its creator

• Hacktivist: a person who hacks into a web site or data system to reveal its security weaknesses/uncover information.

• Hacker: clever computer programmer who is skilled at breaking into systems, generally without authority

• Hack: illegal entry into a secured data source or system

Hacker History

Hackers: The Trickster Gods of Technology

Nikitina, Svetlana. “Hackers as Tricksters of the Digital Age: Creativity in Hacker Culture.” Journal of Popular Culture. 45:1 (2012): 133-152.

Makers and Making

• Combination of hobbyists and professionals

• Make it yourself instead of buying it

• Gadgets, crafts, open source software, fashion, cooking

• Home grown food

• Reaction to consumer culture

Needles found in Gourdan cave, Gourdan–Polignan, Haute-Garonne, France, , dating from the Magdalenian Upper Paleolithic (between 17,000 and 10,000 Before the Current Era)

Maker Culture

Maker Creed

IF YOU CAN’T OPEN IT, YOU DON’T OWN IT

Liberal Education

An approach to college learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. … It helps students develop a sense of social responsibility; strong intellectual and practical skills that span all major fields of study, such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills; and the demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings.http://www.aacu.org/leap/what_is_liberal_education.cfm

Hacking + Making = Bricolage

• Claude Lévi-Strauss: The Savage Mind

“In our own time the 'bricoleur' is still someone who works with his hands and uses devious means [des moyens détournés, indirect or roundabout means] compared to those of a craftsman.”

Bricolage in the Classroom

• Makerbots and Mashups (FSEM): • This course focuses on providing tools and practice for the development

and making of objects using innovative software and hardware. Students will blog the process of design, development, and making as they create objects over the course of the semester.

Course Components

1. Safety First

2. Drawbot

3. 3D Design and Printing

4. Tools and Skills

5. E-Textiles

6. Electronics, Circuits, and Components

7. Microcontrollers

3-D Printing

Electronics and Programming

E-Textiles: Sewing with Conductive Materials

Management Information Systems & Applications (Business)• This course focuses on using information systems to solve real-

world business problems. Students work in groups to research a problem and use the ThinkLab resources to design a prototype of their proposed solution.

GPS WatchCombines Arduino programming, Adafruit wearable electronics components, 3D printed case, and hand-make strap.

Scientific Inquiry (Education)

• Planning and instructional skills for teaching science in the elementary classroom.

• Provides students training and practice in using an assortment of developmentally appropriate teaching methods for elementary level science.

Adventures in Digital History

Artifacts and 3D scans from the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library,http://jmonroe3d.umwhistory.org/

Alice Watkins, “Ceremonial Garment”Senior Art Project, 2013

Student Learning in the ThinkLab

• Peers and collaboration matter• “Collaborating with other students was really important in creating

projects. It was difficult to remember each detail about each program and what to download, so it helped to work with other people.”

• Time, Trial and Error, and the Role of Persistence• “I have spent countless hours trying to get this thing to work and I have

become incredibly frustrated over it. I finished my chess piece after about 15 hours of working on it and it didn’t even turn out the way I wanted it to.”

• Failure is a Part of Learning• I failed so much at this, but after learning from my mistakes, I was able

to fix and understand my Arduino. My take away is that failure is part of learning.”

FAILURE IS A GOOD TEACHER

Next Steps

• 200 level course?

• Using the ThinkLab as a lab space for Digital Studies programs

• Better connection with Computer Science faculty

• 3D scanning for Historic Preservation and Museum Studies

• Reaching out to the Maker community

FESTIVAL OF MAKERSENGLAND RUN PUBLIC LIBRARY, SEPTEMBER 2013

Rosemary Arneson University of Mary WashingtonUniversity Librarian rarneso3@umw.edu