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Boxes of materials sit on shelves and 3D printers lay on tables, ready to be used to create whatever students can imagine. What was once a computer lab in the basement of Esch Hall has been transformed into an area of hands-on learning for the University of Indianapolis’ School of Education–a maker space.
SOE’s maker space was designed by an Indianapolis company, 1st Maker Space, and was developed to be unique to SOE by specifically designing it to teach students how to facilitate the maker space, 1st Maker Space Education Director Mary Rinehart said. A maker space is an area where students can create items ranging from 3D-printed objects to robots made from toothbrush bristles. Maker spaces task students with more open-ended questions, whereas STEM labs task students with precise instructions and a fixed problem to solve, according to Rinehart.
“[SOE…