Computational making

The educational technology and digital learning wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Introduction

In a conference paper (Johnson, 2017: abstract), Johnson argues, that “the maker movement generates much more stuff to consume. A school may purchase a 3D printer for educational purposes, only to have its student-makers simply download and print other people's models without learning to make their own. To prevent this kind of situation, educators must capitalize on the maker movement in ways that facilitate what we call computational making, which involves both meaningful cognition and the making of artifacts.”

More formally, Knight & Vardouli (2015), define "computational making" in two steps: “On a conceptual level, we use ‘making’ as a keyword for action-centric, process-oriented attitudes toward the production and use of material things”. “With regard to the ‘computational’ in Computational Making, we interpret the term broadly as the use of formal, mathematical systems, theories, and methods, as well as tools and technologies developed on the basis of such systems. Computation includes systems and tools for designing (for example, generative and parametric systems, or visualization and modeling systems) and for making (for example, fabrication and construction systems). Computation may include, but is not limited to, the use of digital computers.” (Editorial Computational Making)

Computational making languages

Name Type of artefact Type of language URL Author
BlocksCAD 3D Visual block language Example Example
OpenSCAD 3D Functional language Example Example
Madeup 3D Turtle language Example Example
Beetle Blocks 3D Visual block turtle language Example Example
Turtlestitch Embroidery (laser cutting) Visual block language Example Example
MakeCode Electronics Visual block language Example Example
Twoville 2D SVG (laser cutting) Logo-like programming language Example Example
Example Example Example Example Example
Example Example Example Example Example
Example Example Example Example Example

Links

References

  • Rode, J. A., Weibert, A., Marshall, A., Aal, K., von Rekowski, T., El Mimouni, H., & Booker, J. (2015, September). From computational thinking to computational making. In Proceedings of the 2015 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (pp. 239-250).