Makerspace Coordinator Certificate

The Makerspace Coordinator is a certificate that is designed for people who are seeking employment in fabrication laboratories and makerspaces within community centers, libraries, and education. The program provides 18 units of instruction and support for building models and prototypes, strategies to spark innovation and invention, and creative problem-solving and collaboration. This program includes application and strategies with the foundational concepts and processes for fabrication and design, including the familiarization and use of makerspace and fabrication laboratory tools. Prerequisite Skills: Basic skills using standard computer systems and internet-based technologies.

Due to the high demand for this job in educational environments, we foresee that a minimum of twenty students will complete the program after the initial year. We foresee that we will create rolling cohort groups to build this program and ensure the courses are filled. We also think that the flexibility in the scheduling of the core and elective coursework throughout the year will allow more participants to join these rolling cohorts throughout the year, increasing the participation in this program. Because at least 50% of the courses can be taught completely online, it is expected that state-wide participation over the next five years will significantly increase the number of students who complete this certificate. We currently have 44 people enrolled in ten units of the coursework in 2018 Summer.

The goal of the Makerspace Coordinator Certificate is to prepare individuals to create, manage, or become employed in makerspaces or fabrication laboratories in school, community center, and library environments. Current libraries, community centers, and schools are in dire need of trained, qualified adults to supervise, maintain, and create makerspaces or fabrication laboratories to build 21st century skills of critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity and imagination, and collaboration and teamwork. Program Learning Outcomes: • Upon completion of the program, the student will have acquired the necessary basic skills to create and manage a makerspace or fabrication lab in schools, community centers, and library environments. • Upon completion of the program, the student will be able to demonstrate appropriate critical thinking and problem-solving skills, creative skills, and collaborative and teamwork skills to provide assistance in a maker or fabrication environment.

Core Courses: (15 units) LINC 75A Intro to Instructional Design & Technology, 3 units, Year 1, Fall LINC 77A Design Thinking Process, 2 units, Year 1, Fall LINC 77B Design Thinking & Tinkering, 2 units, Year 1, Winter LINC 78A Computational Thinking for Educators, 2 units, Year 1, Winter LINC 73H Adobe Illustrator Overview, 1 unit, Year 1, Winter LINC 78C Project-Based Technology Projects 2 units, Year 1, Spring LINC 84A 3D Design Process, 2 units, Year 1, Spring LINC 58A EPortfolio, 1 unit, Year 1, Spring Restricted Electives: (3 units) LINC 77C Design Thinking for Teachersm, 2 units, Year 1, Winter LINC 77D Design Thinking Challenges, 2 units, Year 1, Winter LINC 78B Block-based Programming, 2 units, Year 1, Winter/Spring LINC 59 Integrating 21st Century Skills into Instruction, 2 units, Year 1 Winter/spring LINC 57 Designing Learner Centered Instruction, 1 unit, Year 1, Winter/Spring LINC 80 Multimedia Overview, 1 unit, Year 1, Winter/Spring

Foothill College currently has a Makerspace at the Krause Center for Innovation (Building 4000). The Makerspace opened in December 2017, and it is open to Foothill students, Foothill faculty, and local community members. There is no other program that is similar to the Makerspace Coordinator Certificate, and courses that will become available July 1, 2018 will support and guide students to this certificate.

Sonoma State University has the only other makerspace certificate available in the state. The Sonoma State program is through their School of Extended and International Education. The program offers a 50-hour requirement of “mix and match” courses. According to Sonoma State’s program information page, their certificate program will: • Understand the core values and principles of Making • Learn pedagogical practices for empowering learners to explore Making and a Maker mindset in a learning environment • Design an action plan for implementing Maker activities in a learning environment • Begin to consider was to integrate Making in the classroom • Begin to align Maker projects with CCSS and NGSS (web.sonoma.edu/exed/maker-certificate/) The Sonoma State University Makerspace Certificate Program appears to only introduce the concepts of classroom Makerspaces. The Foothill College certificate incorporates design, pedagogy, and content into its certificate to allow a more whole approach to training and mentoring Makerspace Coordinators for jobs in schools, community centers, and libraries.