MAKER COMPETENCIES
The “Maker-Literate” student can:
1. Identify and articulate a need to create.
- 1a. Recognize unmet needs and inaccessible situations that might be solved by making
- 1b. Tinker and hack to learn how things are made and how they work
- 1c. Isolate a specific, manageable issue to focus on
- 1d. Evaluate the costs and benefits of making and/or upcycling as an alternative to buying or hiring
2. Analyze and explore ideas, questions, problems, and potential solutions.
- 2a. Define an idea, question, and/or problem
- 2b. Break an idea, question, and/or problem into its constituent parts for closer analysis
- 2c. Investigate how others have approached similar situations
- 2d. Question assumptions
- 2e. Brainstorm a variety of solutions and pursue the most promising
3. Create effectively and safely.
- 3a. Seek training, information, and necessary certifications when planning to work with dangerous equipment and materials
- 3b. Wear personal protective gear when appropriate
- 3c. Reinforce safety precautions with others
- 3d. Accustom self with location-specific emergency procedures, egress and disaster plans
- 3e. Transfer safety principles covered in training to real-world contexts
4. Assess the availability and appropriateness of tools and materials.
- 4a. Research various equipment and materials to determine limitations and suitability for specific applications
- 4b. Consider environmental sustainability/impact when making, including upcycling and recycling materials
- 4c. Determine the most ideal tools, materials, and method(s) of creation (physical, digital, and rhetorical) for the project
- 4d. Secure access to the necessary tools, materials, and space/facilities
- 4e. Investigate alternatives when a desired tool or material is not available or is too resource intensive
- 4f. Fabricate necessary tools, reimagine material choices, develop alternate workflows, and/or revise project scope when tools or materials are not feasible
5.Prototype using iterative design principles.
- 5a. Specify measurable criteria for a successful prototype vs desired finished product
- 5b. Divide design into individual components to facilitate testing
- 5c. Take intelligent risks, use trial and error, and learn from failures
- 5d. Test measurable criteria to determine whether creation meets needs
- 5e. Gather prototype feedback and input from stakeholders and mentors
- 5f. Revise and modify prototype design over multiple iterations
6. Develop a project management plan.
- 6a. Specify actionable and measurable project goals and requirements
- 6b. Utilize time management and project management tools
- 6c. Outline project milestones, including sequential action items and anticipating time for multiple prototype iterations
- 6d. Work effectively within project constraints, be they financial, material, spatial, and/or temporal
7. Engage in effective teamwork.
- 7a. Gauge the costs & benefits of “Doing-it-Yourself” (DIY) or “Doing-it-Together” (DIT)
- 7b. Recognize opportunities to collaborate with others who provide diverse experiences and perspectives
- 7c. Recruit team members with diverse skills appropriate for specific project requirements
- 7d. Join a team where one’s skills are sought and valued
- 7e. Listen and communicate attentively to learn from and with others
- 7f. Follow through on commitments and contribute to culture of accountability
8. Employ effective knowledge management practices.
- 8a. Restate technical and maker jargon for the layperson
- 8b. Document steps clearly with sufficient detail for others to follow and replicate workflows
- 8c. Use version control to manage project outputs and documentation
- 8d. Preserve project outputs and documentation for long-term access
9. Apply knowledge gained into other situations.
- 9a. Teach skills and share insights with other makers
- 9b. Recognize and cultivate transferrable skills
- 9c. Transfer knowledge, skills, and methods of inquiry across disciplines and activities
- 9d. Familiarize self with skillsets of others
- 9e. Connect those seeking to learn something with those who have relevant experience
10. Understand ethical and intellectual property issues surrounding making.
- 10a. scrutinize the ethical implications of making
- 10b. demonstrate an understanding of intellectual property rights and protections
- 10c. weigh the costs & benefits of seeking intellectual property protections v. making project outputs open and freely available to others
- 10d. examine the potential viability of both proprietary and open source systems to adopt/adapt
- 10e. respect the intellectual property rights of other makers