Making change: instructional pivots of academic makerspace projects during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

In March of 2020, the world encountered the COVID-19 pivot, an abrupt transition from in-person interactions to a socially distanced world. Within schools of engineering, this pivot meant a switch out of collaborative environments, including academic makerspaces. This research investigates how engineering faculty pivoted their instruction to account for the limited capacity, of an academic makerspace during the COVID-19 pivot. We interviewed four engineering faculty members in the United States who utilise the academic makerspace for a course project. Then, we used a descriptive case study approach to explore their perspectives on their instructional pivots. Using Henderson et al.'s ([2011]. "Facilitating Change in Undergraduate STEM Instructional Practices An Analytic Review of Literature.” Journal of Research in Science Teaching 48 (8) 952–984) theoretical framework of change strategies within undergraduate STEM education, we identify when and how each change strategy was used and discuss themes across the instruction pivots. These pivots provide real-world examples of instructional shifts that instructors implemented to differentiate, and in some cases change, their coursework to support inclusive learning environments.