Sammendrag
Makerspaces, also referred to as hackerspaces and Fab Labs, have become more popular over the years, and in Norway the number of makerspaces has doubled in a year. They are described as communities where deep learning, and soft skills are developed; where people can interact socially, and create long lasting experiences by doing things hands-on; where people can be free to think and explore, and creative while working on their own ideas and interests. They empower people with tools, necessary training and support for developing and creating their own prototypes. They are shared, open and inviting, so that beginners and professionals can work side by side. Makeriet is the name of the first makerspace that was established in the fall of 2016 as a free-to-use makerspace at Oslo and Akershus University of Applied Sciences (HiOA). As a pilot project, the concept of a collaborative lab was introduced to students at the Department of Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical Engineering (MEK). A mixture of three different scholarly disciplines within the department should lead to strong collaborations and new ideas. However, since the students lacked a common physical space to meet and work, they were often just focused on their own disciplines without being influenced by other perspectives. Makeriet was therefore established as an open laboratory that would enable collaboration across disciplines, and give students the extra motivation and drive to differentiate themselves in a more competitive world. This paper looks at the Norwegian makerspace model and the impact it has for the Norwegian society, innovation rate and entrepreneurship. It will also look at how Makeriet has influenced the creative and learning scene at MEK, and discuss how it can have a bigger role by targeting students from all the diverse practice based disciplines of Engineering, Design, Fine Art and Health taught at HiOA. New, relevant work This is an education practice that has never been tested at HiOA before. The Maker movement will transform learning in our schools. To counteract educational standards, testing and uniformity, with right tools and collaborations, we can show students that there is a better way of learning. This information is useful for everyone that works in the education sector, for engineering, design, art and health disciplines. Also, an assessment of the Maker movement in Norway is missing, with respect to education at University level.
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