Matching Items (2)
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- All Subjects: Making
- Creators: Lande, Micah
Description
Makers are those who enjoy creating things and learning new skills, as well as interacting within a connected community (Doughtery, 2012). Through the analysis of Makers as part of a larger study (Jordan & Lande, 2013) a researcher had noticed the emergence of leadership traits within the Maker community (Oplinger, Jordan, and Lande, 2015). The National Academy of Engineering has determined that leadership is a key quality for the engineer of the future (Clough, 2004). The Engineering Accreditation Commission has determined several necessary outcomes for engineering students that coincide with leadership roles (Engineering Accreditation Commission, 2012). Proactiveness, confidence, motivation, communication, coaching will be important skills for engineers so that they can effectively lead teams, adjust to change, and synthesize (Ahn, Cox, London, Cekic, and Zhu, 2014). In National Academy of Engineering's The Engineer of 2020 (Clough, 2004) future engineers are expected to be in position to influence "in the making of public policy and in the administration of government and industry." The Maker community offers a broad spectrum of individuals engaged in informal engineering and tinkering activities across multiple pathways (Foster, Wigner, Lande, and Jordan, 2015). This study explores leadership using a theoretical framework of competing values (Quinn, 1988) (Zafft, Adams, and Matkin, 2009) including relating to people, managing processes, leading change, and producing results. The study relies upon artifact elicitation (based on photo elicitation (Harper, 2002)) with 40 of these Makers at four Maker Faires in the United States. The artifact elicitation interviews were conducted at the Maker Faires in front of participants' inventions, where the Makers were asked to describe the invention and the process behind it. Using a theoretical framework of competing values (Quinn, 1988) (Quinn, Faerman, Thompson, and McGrath, 1990) and through parallel inductive-deductive analysis, the emergent themes among our sample of Makers include that they express leadership qualities of (1) innovators \u2014 they utilize different skillsets to develop unique products and solutions; (2) monitors \u2014 they evaluate projects and respond to results; (3) directors \u2014 they set goals and expectations of their projects and processes; and (4) producers \u2014 they are determined and possess a personal drive. From the findings a call to action is made on implementing leadership lessons in the engineering classroom.
ContributorsOplinger, James Logan (Author) / Lande, Micah (Thesis director) / Jordan, Shawn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The 21st century will be the site of numerous changes in education systems in response to a rapidly evolving technological environment where existing skill sets and career structures may cease to exist or, at the very least, change dramatically. Likewise, the nature of work will also change to become more automated and more technologically intensive across all sectors, from food service to scientific research. Simply having technical expertise or the ability to process and retain facts will in no way guarantee success in higher education or a satisfying career. Instead, the future will value those educated in a way that encourages collaboration with technology, critical thinking, creativity, clear communication skills, and strong lifelong learning strategies. These changes pose a challenge for higher education’s promise of employability and success post-graduation. Addressing how to prepare students for a technologically uncertain future is challenging. One possible model for education to prepare students for the future of work can be found within the Maker Movement. However, it is not fully understood what parts of this movement are most meaningful to implement in education more broadly, and higher education in particular. Through the qualitative analysis of nearly 160 interviews of adult makers, young makers and young makers’ parents, this dissertation unpacks how makers are learning, what they are learning, and how these qualities are applicable to education goals and the future of work in the 21st century. This research demonstrates that makers are learning valuable skills to prepare them for the future of work in the 21st century. Makers are learning communication skills, technical skills in fabrication and design, and developing lifelong learning strategies that will help prepare them for life in an increasingly technologically integrated future. This work discusses what aspects of the Maker Movement are most important for integration into higher education.
ContributorsWigner, Aubrey (Author) / Lande, Micah (Thesis advisor) / Allenby, Braden (Committee member) / Bennett, Ira (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017