Making skills: how courses on digital fabrication enhance 21st centrury skills

Abstract

The paper elaborates on critical "design decisions" of a series of digital fabrication micro-courses offered as an optional addition to the full one- or two-semester programs on engineering design. It presents the results of an evaluation regarding the learning outcomes and 21st-century skills acquired by the students. The evaluation indicates that the courses convey practical making skills and contribute to 21st-century skills like self-efficacy, self-initiative and learning competence. The result of the work can inspire other universities and design factories to set up their device training courses similarly to gain this additional benefit.

Keywords

• 21st-century skills
• course design
• making
• Prototyping
• digital fabrication
• Challenge-Based Learning