Research

For research studies, I situate Makerspaces as sites of collaboration, learning and innovation, with the process of Making as a social and creative activity influenced by a multitude of factors .  Initial studies were anchored around fostering maker skills in the context of STEM-based learning to middle school children in semi-urban settings in India, with upcycling as main theme. The studies were focused on understanding Making as a set of designed learning activities and characterizing outcomes of Maker activities.  These studies were conducted during my tenure as Design Engineer at AMMACHI Labs, India, and in association with fellow researchers at the research lab.

The research angle of my doctoral research work aims to redefine, and review collaboration and creativity through a broader lens of an emergent process and as a result of the interactive, incubator-like, constructionist learning environment. I position my research work to focus on  encounters of Makers with fellow Makers, tangible tools, available resources, and the design of the space, while makers are engaged in the Making activities. The overarching aim of the thesis work is to unpack how the elements of Makerspace influence the distributed action of creativity, which directs the investigation on how different factors contribute towards the emergence of distributed creativity in the context of Makerspaces. For the research studies, I am utilizing different kinds of Maker Technologies ranging from traditional making to digital fabrication in study designs with design problem solving as making contexts.