MAKEADEMY
Equips HE (higher education) engineering students with skills needed to respond to complex global challenges through a study program based on the CDIO (Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) approach and with a focus on rapid prototyping.
The Challenge
The MAKEADEMY project wants to innovate existing engineering study courses by developing a flexible, modular learning program centered on the Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate approach. MAKEADEMY programme provides students with the skills to address current and future professional and global challenges.
Our Solution
Create a flexible framework of study module named MAKEADEMY in a Future Engineers E-Learning Platform to provide HE Institutions and students with transdisciplinary oriented study materials applicable to a wide range of engineering disciplines.
Disclaimer: “The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”
Type of Project
Strategic Partnership funded by European Union’s Erasmus+ programme under Grant Agreement 2021-1-LT01-KA220-HED-000032213.
Project Outputs
Developed study materials publicly available via Open Educational Resources & Future Engineers E-Learning Platform and test & improve the created project results while training the first generation of HE students through learning, teaching, training events.
The project
According to the National Academy of Engineering, engineers today work in diverse and diffuse teams, often across time zones and national borders. However, shortly engineers will have an even more diverse environment to work in and more significant humanity’s issues to solve than ever before. The project highlights and addresses three main problems:
1. Sense of innovation, critical thinking, and a holistic view are significant capabilities for engineers. However, activities intended to develop these abilities are missing (or are not fully applied) in HE study programmes. Modern world engineers need to solve problems from innovative, sustainable and social perspectives.
2. In Europe, there is a lack of engineering study programs based on CDIO (conceive-design-implement-operate) methodology, which adds the transdisciplinary approach to the learning practices. Instead, study programs usually are created based on a traditional and well-known project- and problem-based learning method (PBL).
3. The innovative and modern engineering education programs usually have limited availability (e.g. study programs available to a particular HEI or a specific network (e.g. to members of Design Factory Global Network or FabLabs).
Therefore, the “Makers Academy: Developing Future Engineer’s Skills” (MAKEADEMY) project addresses the need to supplement the HE engineering study programs with an innovative solution-oriented and widely available program as a platform to recognise and engage with the macro-ethical, adaptive and cross-disciplinary challenges embedded in professional issues. With this need, the MAKEADEMY project aims to develop the soft & missing skillset of future engineers, which are not just technicians but also are sustainable world creators taking account of the transdisciplinary perspective & with the incentive of solving real-life problems from multiple perspectives.
Our Contribution
Creating the Open Educational Resources (OER) for skills development: The developed study materials on rapid prototyping will improve students’ technical skills, provide better knowledge of what the labor market needs, and also will foster digital fabrication and use of digital tools.
Who is it for
Higher Education (HE) Institutions
Who wish to increase & strengthen the HE engineering studies with innovative study module;
HE Students
Which will be prepared for the fast-changing labor market with their gained skills for innovation.
Makerspaces and other creative Technical spaces
Who wish to empower their infrastructure while implementing OERs (O2&O3) in their daily work.
Other creative Communities and members of Society
Like workers of public libraries, primary school teachers, etc.), who wish to gain skills in rapid prototyping and use it in their daily work or for individual reasons.
Project Partners
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH – Lithuania)
Riga Technical University (RTU – Latvia)
Institut d’Arquitectura Avançada de Catalunya (IAAC – Spain)
Aarhus University (AU – Danmark)