Reinventing the Student Experience
At a time when higher education
is trying to keep pace with the rapidly
changing needs of industry, it is increasingly
important to provide students with skills
that go beyond traditional expectations.
Makerspaces—labs designed for students to
get hands-on experience creating projects—are becoming a popular way to help students
create and provide experience with tools
they will use in the world of work.

Photo Courtesy of JMU X-Labs
THE RISE OF MAKERSPACES
In the past, the student experience in college
consisted primarily of large lecture halls
or smaller classrooms where students sat in
rows of desks while the instructor imparted
the lesson. While this approach covers content
material, the content sticks better when
students are engaged in it. This is where
project-based…