Karin Forssell
Expertise:
Karin Forssell directs the GSE Makery and the Learning, Design & Technology(link is external) master's program. In her courses at the Graduate School of Education(link is external), students learn to use research from the learning sciences and learning-centered design processes to create effective digital tools. Her current interests include maker space education, teacher technology adoption, and parenting in a digital world.
What is your vision for the GSE Makery?
Like many of the maker spaces on Stanford’s campus(link is external), the GSE Makery is a place for realizing our ideas in tangible forms. By building, hacking, tinkering, creating and sharing ideas, makers can push their own thinking and that of others.
What sets the GSE Makery apart from others is our focus on learning. We want people to learn to make, and also make to learn. Students can learn about themselves and explore essential questions in a subject area through building and getting feedback on projects. Teachers can make learning aids to learn about their students. Researchers can ask questions about how learning can be more tangible, more applied, or more inclusive of a variety of lived experiences.
What would you like to see the Makery doing? What would you, personally, like to do with it?
First, I’d like to see that the Makery is a place that serves a significant number of people at the GSE. We will figure out how this resource can contribute meaningfully to the GSE’s mission when students and faculty come to the Makery with questions, projects, or an interest in collaborations.
In addition, I’d like to see impact. I think of that as quality, in addition to quantity. That can be difficult to define or measure, but it’s terribly important. I imagine we’ll start to see it when conversations that start here lead to research studies, long-term projects, or key insights that impact learning beyond the GSE.
Above all, I’d like to see that we’re constantly learning and adjusting. We have the opportunity to apply a design process to the space we’re in. By that I mean that we get to try to make something (a plan, a program, a process) and see what works, then figure out what to keep and what to revise. We will make some bad guesses in the beginning but if we’re paying attention, we’ll learn from them. I’m really hoping we can share those lessons learned and learn from others doing the same thing.
What does a diverse and inclusive makerspace look like to you?
One in which everyone feels that they are welcome. So many of our institutions and spaces look imposing or exclusive. Museum designers talk about “threshold fear.” I’d like makerspaces to be places where it's easy to walk in the door. They need to welcome a wide range of people.
I’m not sure yet what that looks like, but we’ll try out some different ideas. We have tools and sample work that reflect traditionally “techie” tools alongside traditionally “crafty” materials. We’ve adjusted the heights of the tables and tools to make the space comfortable for bodies of different sizes. We’re exploring how the norms for safety and a culture of caring for the space can help lower anxiety. And we want to include products and processes from a variety of cultures in our examples of making.
What do you see as a challenge for maker education?
I’m thinking about makerspaces in K-12 schools. Understanding the reasons for having a makerspace in the larger institution is important. First, that will help with decisions about what projects, units, machines, or student groups to focus on. But it also helps with sustainability. In schools, space is typically precious. And dedicated people are key to making it run well. To justify these resources over time, it's critical to understand how the space it fits with the larger goals of the site and district.
What do you see as the trends in maker education going forward? What are you most excited about?
I’ve always been a big fan of electives and so-called “vocational education” courses. Shop and art and home economics were some of my favorites in my own schooling, and I’ve seen so many students light up when they get to make things. But over the years I think there has been a push for students to be more and more academic; I think we are losing something important if we don’t continue to revisit what the academics are meant to help us do. So I’m excited to see the maker movement bring back some of these classic learning experiences and make them fresh again to new generations.
You can learn more about Karin on her Faculty Profile(link is external).