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Can we empower making through open contribution of solutions to shared challenges?

We've asked institutions to share solutions to challenges facing our community of Makers. We're doing this to empower making in US higher education. We want to develop a rich database of simple, solvable resources, tools, and content that helps our community as a whole.

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Popular Solutions

  • DIY card-access for Maker Space equipment

    Addresses How should we introduce novic... For Training

    A common challenge for training in maker spaces is finding a way to make access to the space as open as possible while restricting access to particular machines to those who have had the proper training. We have a DIY card-access system that interfaces with a database of trained users to only power-on machines when the card indicates the user has the proper training. Developed as a senior-design project by ECE & CompE students, this is shared under CC-Sharealike. Email mvigeant@bucknell.edu

  • Courses for credit to learn maker techniques!

    Addresses How do we build our students ... For Curriculum

    At the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education at Northeastern, we offer a program of courses in areas identified by our students and external stakeholders to give our students product-centered and maker-based skills. These courses are taught by practitioners from the field rather than standing faculty and are entirely project (not exam) based. Course topics include: creative product design, customer-driven innovation, iterative product prototyping, and product development.

  • 3 hours is all you need!

    Addresses How should we introduce novic... For Training

    The Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education at Northeastern has a thriving offering of evening workshops in which student instructors teach the basics of Arduino and 3-D printing to an audience of beginners. Each workshop is limited to 20 students (or staff/faculty) and materials and resources (such as Arduino boards) are provided for free b the Center. A resources page has key information for follow-on learning: http://www.northeastern.edu/sherman/upcoming-events/resources/

Open Challenges
Latest Solutions

  • DIY card-access for Maker Space equipment

    Addresses How should we introduce novic... For Training

    A common challenge for training in maker spaces is finding a way to make access to the space as open as possible while restricting access to particular machines to those who have had the proper training. We have a DIY card-access system that interfaces with a database of trained users to only power-on machines when the card indicates the user has the proper training. Developed as a senior-design project by ECE & CompE students, this is shared under CC-Sharealike. Email mvigeant@bucknell.edu

  • Courses for credit to learn maker techniques!

    Addresses How do we build our students ... For Curriculum

    At the Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education at Northeastern, we offer a program of courses in areas identified by our students and external stakeholders to give our students product-centered and maker-based skills. These courses are taught by practitioners from the field rather than standing faculty and are entirely project (not exam) based. Course topics include: creative product design, customer-driven innovation, iterative product prototyping, and product development.

  • 3 hours is all you need!

    Addresses How should we introduce novic... For Training

    The Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education at Northeastern has a thriving offering of evening workshops in which student instructors teach the basics of Arduino and 3-D printing to an audience of beginners. Each workshop is limited to 20 students (or staff/faculty) and materials and resources (such as Arduino boards) are provided for free b the Center. A resources page has key information for follow-on learning: http://www.northeastern.edu/sherman/upcoming-events/resources/

Key Areas

  • Admissions

    0 challenges 0 solutions

    Finding and recruiting great makers to higher ed; Including making in admissions criteria; Implementing maker portfolios, etc.

  • Curriculum

    3 challenges 1 solutions

    Developing courses to support or foster makers

  • Makerspaces

    2 challenges 0 solutions

    Addressing issues of setup, maintenance, management, coordination and more

  • Creating K-12 Pipelines

    0 challenges 0 solutions

    Supporting our local and national K-12 maker learning experiences. How can and should higher ed help enrich K-12 maker-based learning?