Ucreate Studio Pilot: Project Plan

uCreate Studio pilot: Project plan

Author: Fiona Hale ()

Start Date: 1st October 2016

End Date: June 30th 2017

Outline

This nine-month pilot project will aim to: establish a pilot Educational MakerSpace within an identified room in the central library (Room 1.12), evaluate its use during the time period and offer recommendations for taking the pilot forward.

Objectives

There are seven key objectives(each is a project work package) for this nine-month project:

Governance: a) A University steering group will be set up to oversee the pilot and b) An ISG task group will be set up to resource the pilot activities.
Resourcing required to operate a low-risk, digitally focused maker space will be sought: a) External contractor as Maker Space Manager to shape the facility and develop it into an efficient multidisciplinary co-working place and b) Student interns to support activities and events and digital office hours.
Room 1.12 will be redesigned to support a Maker approach to learning.
The space will be appropriately branded and promoted to staff and students for Maker activities via website, room, signposting and information presentations.
A series of staff-led Maker and digital skills focussed activities will be co-ordinated in the space from colleagues in ISG and academic groups.
Equipment required to operate a low-risk, digitally focussed maker space will be purchased.
Reporting: a) An interim report will be submitted to the January steering group reviewing the work so far, the events evaluation, the staffing concerns and outlining early recommendations to service andb) A final report will be submitted to the May steering group reviewing the nine-month pilot and recommending next steps regarding the space, while outlining associated resourcing requirements and risks.

Background

“What it means to be literate in the digital era of the twenty-first century is different than what was needed previously” (Jewitt, 2005)

‘Critical digital literacies’ and ‘digital media literacies’ are growing in importance for students in an educational context. Schools and Universities are increasingly exploring ways to extend the digital skills of students beyond those of keyboard/software skills and internet security awareness, to offer students opportunities to develop a full range of creative abilities with digital technology (Selwyn, 2011). These can include opportunities to play, to experiment as inquiry-based learning and problem-solving, to sample and ‘remix’ digital content, to collaborate, and explore new opportunities, to pool ‘collective intelligence’ to achieve a common goal (Jenkins, 2005).

Many other HE institutions have identified the need for a space in which experimentation and participation in new forms of digital creation can take place. At many Universities in the UK (see UCL Institute of Making, for example), places are emerging to help individuals experiment and innovate. These include tech shops, fab labs, makerspaces focused on makers, and hacklabs and repair cafés focused on fixers. Within hacklabs and repair cafés inventors, entrepreneurs, designers, engineers and hobbyists appear to be coming together to collaborate with a view to extending the life of products through repair and/or changing product functions, therefore extending the use of materials. Whether as hobbyists or professionals, Makers are creative, resourceful and curious, developing projects that demonstrate how they can interact with the world around them. MakerSpaces are not only a place where people build, learn, and hack for themselves, they are also spaces that generate community and connections between people.

An opportunity has been identified for the University of Edinburgh to pilot an Educational MakerSpace. This facility is intended to be staff-led and will encourage interdisciplinary collaboration within the wider university community. This pilot aligns to pedagogies that support active and authentic learning; builds staff and student creative confidence and digital skills; and impacts directly and positively on student experience. The University of Edinburgh is in danger of falling behind our competitors who are developing these collaborative spaces, for example:

Coventry, UCL, Liverpool John Moores, LSE, Glasgow Strathclyde, Edinburgh Napier have a MakerSpace strategy, staff and space.

Stanford create:space and MIT MakerWorks.

This is a risky and experimental area where many MakerSpace examples within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) started with the philosophy of making the space available, accepting that failure was a possibility, but appreciating that creativity and innovation within the space and of the spacetakes time.

Scope

Project tasks, milestones and timelines (see Appendix 1) – email author for complete XLS.

1 a) / University Steering Group / A steering group to be set up with representation from key stakeholders (Estates, EUSA, IAD, Academics (research and teaching), eLearning @Ed committee representative and ISG working group representative) - to meet regularly throughout the project to review progress and contribute to recommendations at the end of the project. Proposed to meet every 2 months throughout pilot.
Deliverables:
First steering group meeting: 28th September and subsequent steering group meetings are 22nd November, 24th January, 21st March and 23rd May.
1 b) / ISG Task Group / An ISG task group to be set up with representation across almost all ISG divisions, especially LSTS, EDE, DLAM, WGI and Digital Skills (all from LTW), Library and University Collections (LUC), ITI, and uCreate and Academic Support Librarians (from USD). The task group will meet regularly to plan, design, and evaluate ISG based engagement events within the space. Proposed to meet every month; scheduled for just after each steering group and again before the next steering group.
Deliverables:
First task group meeting: 3rd October and subsequent scheduled meetings are 7th November and 5th December.
2 a) / Resourcing / Contractor / This project has no people resource allocated and is planning on hiring an external contractor as Maker Space Manager to shape the facility and develop it into an efficient multidisciplinary co-working place.
2 b) / Resourcing / Student Interns / This project has no people resource allocated and is therefore applying to the ISG Innovation Fund (Appendix 4) for funding to employ student interns to support the engagement activities and planned digital office hours.
3 / Room 1.12 redesign / Room 1.12, Main Library Meeting Suite, has been secured as a physical space for digital and blended creativity and innovation. R5oom 1.12 will build on the brand of uCreate in the Main Library (within User Services Division) by being called uCreate Studio.
Deliverables:
Swipe access to the room installed.
Webcam installation for safety and security.
Storage boxes and shelving for equipment.
Writeable walls.
Moveable tables and chairs.
Table top changes for creative working.
4 / Branding and Promotion / The space will be suitably branded and promoted to staff and students.
Key Deliverables:
Website design and development for gallery showcase.
Room branding and library signposting.
eLearning @Ed and ISG information events (with hands on opportunity).
5 a) / Staff-led Events and Activities / uCreate Studio will be a space to support, but not limited to, the following activities (fully detailed in appendix 2):
Deliverables:
ISG led, including, but not limited to:

Ada Lovelace Day - contribute to collective online knowledge base – 11th October 2016
DIY Film School - media making and editing – 26th October 2016
Micro-electronics - MakeyMakey
Coding - BBC Micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi 3
Photogrammetry & 3D printing - sharing blueprints as OER
Board Game Jam
Internet of things (IoT)

Academic led, including, but not limited to:

Teaching events within Children and Technology Course, MSc in Education via Andrew Manches – 15th November 2016
Digital Humanities workshops, Beyond the Black Box, funded by the British Academy AY2016/2017 via Anouk Lang – semester wide.
Curriculum integrated 3d with students from Digital Humanities for Literary Studies (both PG and UG) via Anouk Lang – semester 2.
Ewan Klein, Internet of Things, Festival of Creative Learning – February 22nd to 24th 2017

5 b) / Digital Office Hours / uCreate Studio will be a space to support “digital office hours”. The student interns will act as the “genius” within the space, available at set hours within the week, for staff and students to get support with their maker ideas – so called “digital office hours”. As part of the Digital Scholarship initiative, Anouk Lang has already piloted a series of "digital office hours" in 2015-16 in which a technical expert and a researcher were available for consultation by students or staff members wanting guidance on using digital tools for research projects.
5 c) / Members Only / Do it yourself / uCreate Studio will be a space to support “do it yourself” engagement. In many University maker spaces student members are at the heart of the space. MIT MakerWorks, for example, is a student run makerspace where students, faculty, and staff are allowed to work freely on any project they choose. The mission of MIT MakerWorks is to foster a student community in a hands-on learning environment where modeling, prototyping, and validation resources coexist. This type of interaction with the space will be encouraged in the latter part of the pilot (phase 2).
6 / Equipment required / Initial digital kit will be ordered in preparation for current planned events. Other kit will be ordered on a “need for event” basis. Contingencies need to be put in place in relation to breakages with the pilot recommending what we do going forward.
7 a) / Interim Report / Based on the monitoring and evaluation of the pilot an interim report will be submitted to the January steering group meeting, which will outline event evaluations, early recommendations for staffing, service, and moving forward. An application has been made to the ISG Innovation Grant to fund a student intern to support the critical evaluation of the Maker Space. The student will support the evaluation activities planned within, and of, the space over coming months.
Deliverables:
Report detailing areas for improvement and areas of success (numbers of attendees, number of engagement events, and numbers of drop ins to digital office hours). Where areas for improvement are identified, costed recommendations will be provided, along with suggested timescales and order of priority.
7 b) / Final Report / Based on the monitoring and evaluation of the project the final report will be submitted to the May steering group meeting will recommend suitable options for:
a) Transitioning the space to full service
b) Continued or re-focussed pilot or,
c) Discontinuation of pilot.

Alignment to University strategy and drivers

Aligns to Student Experience - providing space for students to develop and be supporting in improving digital creativity.
Aligns to Excellence in Innovation - with space to prototype and storyboard new collaborative innovation projects
Aligns to Excellence in Education, allowing students a space for self directed learning through making, and where staff and students co create. Also provides space to support curricular design meetings.
The proposal aligns also to the infrastructure enabler of the University strategy. The proposal aligns to people as an enabler, due to the learning potential for staff and students and the ability to work in partnership through use of a shared creative space and inclusive processes. The proposal aligns to life long community, as the space could be used for events with Alumni and industry involvement.

Risk Register / Risk Log

Ref / Title / Impact / Probability / Status / Risk Owner / Date of last review
1 / Room 1.12 re-appropriated for other use / High / Low / Open / Room secured / Jeremy Upton / 01/09/16
2 / Estates Small Capital Works Grant / High / High / Open / 75,000 secured / Gillian Scott / 27/09/16
3 / Support for engagement events and digital office hours (PhD intern recruitment) / Medium / Low / Open / Innovation Fund secured / Fiona Hale / 27/09/16
4 / Support for kit procurement and space set up / Medium / Low / Open / Waiting on sign off / Fiona Hale / 02/11/16
5 / Expectation Management (this is a pilot) / High / Medium / Open / Fiona Hale / 14/10/16
6 / Reputation (this project has secured a 75k budget) / High / Medium / Open / Fiona Hale / 14/10/16
7 / Pilot deadline (in time for planning) / High / Medium / Open / Fiona Hale / 14/10/16

Risk 1: Venue (high risk and high probability)

This project is dependant on the physical space it has been allocated, currently 1.12 in Main Library. It has been difficult to identify a space, which is suitable for the MakerSpace and although 1.12 has been allocated it is still under risk within this pilot as a possible “student study space”. If this space comes under risk we would need to look for other space immediately. The MakerSpace currently used for the Design and Technology PGDE students in Charteris Land, Moray House, has been approached as a possible alternate venue, if required. This space has been in place for almost 10 years now and is only in use for a few hours a week, across the 18 weeks of the PGDE.

Risk 2: Funding (high risk, high probability)

This project is dependant on the fundingreceived from the small capital works budget (£75,000 April 2016). The small capital works will procure the maker space equipment, redesign 1.12 so it is suitable as a maker space and fund the hiring of an external contractor to get the space up and running and to manage the initial engagement activities planned within the space.

Educational Design and Engagement (EDE) will give 0.4FTE to the pilot to get the engagement event programme established. EDE is not responsible for maintenance of kit and does not have the expertise to fix equipment in the room.

This project has no people resource allocated and is therefore applying to the ISG Innovation Fund(Appendix 4)for funding to employ student interns to support the engagement activities and planned digital office hours. The students will act as the “genius” within the space, available at set hours within the week, for staff and students to get support with their maker ideas – so called “digital office hours”. Ideally the students will be employed with varying backgrounds and skills, which has proven successful in other equivalent maker spaces. The digital office hours have run successfully for the past year in digital humanities, with Anouk Lang. As part of the Digital Scholarship initiative, Anouk Lang has already piloted a series of "digital office hours" in 2015-16 in which a technical expert and a researcher were available for consultation by students or staff members wanting guidance on using digital tools for research projects. The feedback on these office hours was positive, and those who could not make the set times requested more. The uCreate Studio would provide an ideal space to hold future office hours; indeed the most difficult part of setting up the office hours was finding a suitable space, particularly at times of the semester when block bookings made it impossible to find available rooms.

Milestones and work packages

Project tasks, milestones and timelines (see Appendix 1) – email author for complete XLS.

1. Create a University steering group of key stakeholders (Estates, EUSA, IAD, Academics (research and teaching), eLearning @Ed committee representative and ISG working group representative).

2. Create an ISG task group - LSTS, EDE, DLAM, WGI and Digital Skills (all from LTW), Library and University Collections (LUC), ITI, and uCreate and Academic Support Librarians (from USD).

3. Branding, website, initial kit ordering

4. Hire an external contractor- we are looking for a highly motivated individual who is up for the challenge of shaping this facility and developing it into a staff-led, efficient, multidisciplinary co-working place.

5. Secure ISG Innovation Grantto fund student interns to staff and support the engagement events.

Key Stakeholders

ISG Senior Directors
ISG Task Group
Academics, both research and teaching, across college and schools
eLearning @Ed community
Students
Institute of Academic Development (IAD)
Estates and Building (main project funders)

University Steering Group

Melissa Highton (chair), LTW, ISG
George Mcdougall, USD, ISG (for Bryan Macgregor)
Jeremy Upton, L&UC, ISG
Tony Weir, ITI, ISG
Dave Reay, Geosciences, CSE
Adam Stokes, Engineering,CSE
Chris Speed, Design Informatics, CHAS
Anouk Lang, CHAS Digital Scholarship, CAHSS
Jeremy Knox, Digital Education, CAHSS
Fraser Muir, Chief Information Officer, CAHSS
Susan Rhind, Vet School, CMVM
Gareth Clegg, Medical School, CMVM
Gillian Scott, Estates and Buildings
Brian Mather, eLearning@Ed community (and CMVM)
Celeste McLaughlin, Academic Development for Digital Education, IAD
Jenna Kelly,EUSA VPS
Euan Murray, LTW, ISG
Fiona Hale, LTW, ISG (and ISG Task Group representative)

ISG Task Group

IS Corporate
Sarah Gormley
LTW Division
EDE –Jo Spiller and Fiona Hale (steering group representative)
LSTS – Euan Murray and Stephen Dishon
DLAM –Stephen Donnelly
WGI –Stewart Cromar
Digital Skills and Training – Andy Todd
L&UC Division
Gavin Willshaw
Claire Knowles
Serena Fredrick
USD Division
Academic Support Librarian – Jenny Lauder
uCreate –Lesley Pearson
Help Desk - TBC
ITI Division
Simon Chapple
EDINA
Lisa Otty

References

Hewitt, C (2005) Multimodality, reading and writing for the twenty-firstcentury¹ Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 26, 3,