Reflection Questions

Session 5 Reflection Questions

Q5.1 Tinkering is a way to generate knowledge. What kind of knowledge results from a tinkering process in your experience?

It all starts with a vision or an idea, something that I want to be done by my new invention. I usually start to research what others have built and then look at the (electronic) components that they have used. This curiosity already expands my horizon as I now have a mental set of sensors of which I know what they can do. For just about every challenge nowadays I have something in mind that I can order and start out with.

The real learning for me comes from the interfacing and integrating of all the components together, and the new challenges that arise from the integration hell. A great example project is the beer meter that I built for our bar, where I had to use existing measurement infrastructure and find a way to read it out using a microcontroller, then send that wirelessly to a screen and preferably also store the data for later use. The reading out of the counter only succeeded after 3 prototypes, after which I still needed to find out how to forward the values to the screen. I learnt a lot about networking (and the UT’s eduroam network), the MQTT protocol and reverse engineering.

Q5.2 Tinkering with classical materials like clay, paper, colour, textiles is more related to craft. How does tinkering work with digital and electronic media?

Tinkering with electronics is similar to tinkering with traditional materials. The process still starts with an idea, a seed, something you want to build. From here you start experimenting with different materials. In the classical case you might find that paper is not durable enough for your needs and use clay or cardboard instead. Electronically you might find that an arduino cannot run complex algorithms which is why you might choose to use a raspberry pi. The core trial and error, curiosity and problem solving mindset of tinkering stay the same, however the goal and material can change.

Q5.3 One basic characteristic of science is reproducibility. Is that possible with tinkering? Or do we want that at all?

Tinkering is less about reproducibility and more about exploration and learning, this of course varies per person and per project. Tinkering has many parts to it, your tinkering when you for example take apart an old piece of electronics to find out how it works or when your fixing it yourself. Besides the quick prototyping and testing tinkering also revolves around failing, learning from the mistakes and trying again. Tinkering can lead to reproducible outcomes however I think that if we make tinkering into something with reproducible outcomes it will lose many of the key characteristics that make tinkering so powerful.

Q5.4 Design practice changed during the past years, from long design phases to short, iterative processes, due to the availability of new prototyping technologies. Is this iterative process of prototyping qualitatively different from the cycles we do in tinkering?

Yes and no, the iterative process of modern design and tinkering overlap but are still different. The iterative process of modern design also focuses on the continuous trial and error method that is so key in tinkering, however the modern design iterative process is more goal oriented and usually has an expected outcome. Tinkering on the other hand is often driven by curiosity and the joy of making, oftentimes lacking a clear end goal that the iterative design does have.

Q5.5 Can a co-design session be described as a tinkering session as we treat it in our course?

A co-design session can be described as a tinkering session depending on how it is done. If a co-design session aims to be more like a tinkering session it should be open-ended and focus on the explorative and playful parts of tinkering. If the co-design session has a specific goal with fixed steps and a “correct” answer or limited space for deviation and exploration it cannot and should not be considered a tinkering session.

Q5.6 The choice of materials (seed, tools, scaffolding, facilitation) has an effect on the outcome, the knowledge and products made in a tinkering session. How can we use that in a co-design session? Can we really influence the kind of results here, and do we want that?

The results of a co-design session can be influenced by the materials, scaffolding and facilitation just as in tinkering. As facilitators we can steer the co-design session into a certain direction by selecting specific tools, prompts, examples or themes that highlight a certain idea. This structure however could limit creativity and make us lose some of the out of the box thinking that is done.

Q5.7 In “research through design” can tinkering fill in the design part?

Yes, tinkering can indeed be used as part of the design process in “research through design”. Tinkering could be used in the earlier more exploratory parts as amore of an orientation and experimentational tool. The playful approach and unexpected results can allow for more out of the box ideas which can be useful in earlier stages.

Q5.8 Are there design questions where tinkering is not a possible or useful approach?

Yes there definitely are questions and domains where tinkering is not possible or not useful, in high stakes and high risk environments where mistakes can mean the difference between life and death the trial and error nature of tinkering would not be suitable. For many abstract and theoretical fields such as economics and law tinkering might also not be a good fit as these usually take long term effects into account which the short term trial and error may not show enough of.

Q5.9 Read Invent to Learn page 41. how to balance real-world (criticality) with the fruitful mindset of tinkering?

It can be difficult to balance the real-world design criticality with the exploratory nature of tinkering. Not only does tinkering require room for playful and experiential learning and trial and error but real world constraints such as (non) functional requirements and deadlines require precision and reliability, which may limit the amount of creative freedom in a project. There however is a balance to be found allowing students to iterate freely and still balance real world constraints by for example encouraging rapid prototyping and reflecting on failures.

Q5.10 What is the critical impact your tinkering exercise could have? (on you, your design/engineering practice or problem, both positive and negative)

Our tinkering assignment where users build a remote control car that can deliver cargo teaches the importance of quick prototyping and constant testing, as soon as a car is built it should be tested. Tested to find weak spots or parts that do not work as intended. Everything from our blocks to our electronics kit reflects this. We encourage failing and hope students take away that failing is okay, failing is how we can learn and improve ourselves. Our kit also teaches hands-on understanding of design and real world problem solving. However the increased playfulness of our kit can mean that students just start building something without planning or thinking, thus this should be balanced.

Q5.11 What is the impact your session has regarding (more) stuff, ecological footprint and impact on our planet (i.e. how can you avoid that STEM workshops with waste material result in more waste material?)

All the parts of our kit are designed to be reused, electronic parts of our kit stay compatible with arduino and can still be reused after the workshop is done. No permanent changes are made to existing materials and all parts can be 3D printed and made at home, saving transportation CO2.

Session 3 Reflection Questions

Q3.1 Take a look at the LEGO serious play method. The following book forms a good introduction: LEGO Serious play open sourceLinks to an external site. Take a look at the sections discussing facilitation - Do adults need a different approach or role in facilitation? Which concepts are relevant?

According to the lecture and the LSP handbook a facilitator has various main roles. These roles globally stay the same for both children and adults. However the importance of these roles changes depending on the group. I think that children may need more clearly set boundaries than adults. Adults may need to let go of the idea that they need to make a perfect end result and may need to be facilitated to have fun and experiment more as children are more used to this. Children will need different types of scaffolding for new materials or tools than adults. Some adults may already be familiar with parts or tools, pushing away the less dominant in their party, a situation that I have witnessed often. A facilitator must then stimulate the active participation of everyone through ideation, discussion and reflection.

Q3.2 Read Invent to Learn chapter 5. Summarise the key principles mentioned by Papert and also the key principles by Montessori. Where do Papert and Montessori meet up? What is a fundamental difference in their approach? How well do their mantra's and thoughts on teaching translate to tinkering for 'children of different ages'?

Constructional learning is one of Paperts main ideas in chapter 5 of Invent to Learn. It entails a new way of learning that does not consist of memorizing facts and listening to endless lectures. Instead constructionist learning encourages students to try things and experiment, with the end goal not being to memorize certain solutions but instead form a sort of mental model of the situation or theory at hand.

Papert also believes that teachers should follow the mantra “less us, more them”. Teachers should act more as facilitators who bring students together and support them in their learning paths by letting them fail early and often. The teacher has four main roles specified in chapter 5: at the start the teacher acts as an “Ethnographer”, finding out what students already know, the teacher then acts as a “documentarian” where they visualize the thoughts and ideas of the students. Later the teacher must act as a “studio manager” where they facilitate the play and experimentation using tools and kits. Lastly the teacher must act as a “wise leader” and guide students gently through their big ideas. Papert sums this up by stating “The time in the classroom should be owned by the students, not by us [teachers]”

Montessori specifically looks at the reflection part of the process, where the goal of teachers is to of course look back and reflect but more importantly also share these thoughts as they may provoke other thoughts in other students. Montessori specifies the importance of really digging down into the students feelings after the project and not just settling for a surface level answer that suffices the general learning goals.

Q3.3 read Invent To Learn chapter 9. What are useful pointers for the space (location) and setting, what is the message? Do you need a designlab/fablab?

Chapter 9 discusses how a makerspace is more than just a collection of tools and materials, a makerspace is an area that fosters creativity, invention and experimentation. In this space “students must believe that they are inventors and creators”. This is initally done by making the area interesting and playfull for everyone. The Designlab does this perfectly with their lego tables that are spead out across the area. The designlab also has a clear entrance which mentally signals the transition from a lecture location into a more free and open creator space. Importantly the book mentions how students should feel as owners of the makerspace, they should have freedom to design, decorate and plan the space according to their wishes.

I believe that any space can be a makerspace just like the designlab. Whenever I want to tinker around or build something at home I sit behind the same desk at which I study for exams or make assignments. The transition that the book mentions is what transforms my desk into a makerspace. I will open up a drawer with all my tools and get boxes full of electronics and populate my desk with these boxes, making it into a true makerspace. Of course this is different for everyone, what works for me might not work another person.

Q3.4 Now get back to your own practice as a designer/engineer:

Q3.4.1 where in a process do you use tinkering?

Q3.4.2 how can you translate a design problem or research problem into a tinkering playground?

Q3.4.3 What can you use to get unstuck?

Q3.4.4 how do you get in the flow?

Session 2 Reflection Questions

During this lecture we got to test our different kits such as: arduino, microbit, little bit, totem, makerbeam and more. We also followed the animatronics workshop where we used hot glue and cardboard with servos and the animatronics deck to build creatures.

Q2.1 Now also take a moment to consider your own thinking during the session. You may like or dislike the concept of mindset but it is a valuable concept to reflect on how your mind is tackling things (or how it is geared up to do a task). Do you recognise aspects of thinking that could be helpful or not helpful for tinkering? Quickly sum up your thoughts and findings and discuss them with the others

In myself I recognized the thought of wanting to build something cool, something I am proud of and something novel. During the animatronics workshop I instantly decided that I wanted to build something that could walk and got really into this idea, later it turned out that perhaps 45 minutes was not enough to build something like this fully and we had a half walking robot. This tends to happen to me often, where I get really excited and start building something without planning or considering alternatives which may better suit the case.

Q2.2 Describe the materials quickly experienced in the first session. What makes them suitable?

We experienced Arduino, Microbit, Little bit, totem, makerbeam and hot glue with cardboard. All these kits consist of individual building items that can be connected together to create something grand, something solving a struggle, for Arduino it may be taking an input and realizing an output or actuation. For MakeBeam it may be the quick creating or extremely strong and durable structures.

Q2.3 Which of the experienced tools and materials has the lowest threshold? i.e which materials are easiest to get started with (are grabbed right away, no thinking, no consideration)

Cardboard and hot glue are the easiest to start with and have the lowest threshold as they are very self explanatory and just about anything can be built with it. Besides power for the glue gun no external requirements such as a laptop or phone are needed to get started.

Q2.4 Which of the experienced tools and materials has the highest ceiling? I.e, with which materials could you come closest to applications in the real world?

To me the totem kit felt as a very high ceiling, not because it was hard to use or unintuitive but because it uses consumable materials. As a kid I always felt like consumables were something I shouldn’t use unless I am sure I want to use them. For the rapid prototyping and playful building this isn’t a vibe that a kit should go for I feel.

Q2.5 To which extent does the exact instruction play a role? Do you need an introduction in the materials(seed) or towards the goal (discovery) or the tooling/skills?

I feel that exact instruction can be a great starting point for a new building material or block. The starting instructions of a Mecanno kit show whats possible to build with those exact components but don’t require you to build them. Lego does the same, they show you what you can build with the set and how. These instructions serve as inspirations and are a chance to learn what can be done.

Q2.6 Can you recognise most of the aspects of the framework in action?

Yess, most kits follow the same framework in how the blocks interact with each other and how the kit is organized and what the goals are.

Session 1 Reflection Questions

Q1.1 Tinkering is widely associated with trial-and-error and brainstorming. Find dictionary definitions of the three techniques, and compare them. Does the definition of tinkering match the definition we have in the course? Also, ask a generative AI tool for the definitions and differences. Which aspects does the answer provided miss?

According to the dictionary definitions, tinkering is more the art of repairing something as you do that casually and mostly for fun. Trial-and-error is more the experimentation and seeing what works and what doesn’t. I think everyone who has tinkered somewhat has a sad drawer filled with all the burnt and broke electronics that died in the process of trial and error. Brainstorming is a group discussion to solve problems and think of new ideas, this is more of an early stage of tinkering where you’re still planning out the project and deciding the scope. The general definition of Tinkering found in the dictionary is a very short and concise version of the definition in this course, globally it comes down to the same thing in both definitions.

After asking ChatGPT about tinkering and its definition it generally is the same as the definition in this course and dictionary definitions. However it seems to miss the fun and playful experimentation and learning involved with tinkering.

Q1.2 Can you take a typical I-Tech related project case, list and explain 5 technical hurdles? To which extent do they allow for a 'playful' approach in tackling them? Please give arguments.

As I just started iTech I will look back at a CreaTe project, the M8 project where we created a huge data visualization had many moving parts and challenges. The main challenge being integrating all the different components. After many failed attempts of using databases and connections to servers we found an incredibly easy solution: just using a google sheet. With an open source api we could load it into json and use it throughout the modules of our project. We also faced issues in manufacturing, to decide what materials would we use to build parts we tested many different materials quickly and based our decision on how easy sculpt and how sturdy a material was.

Tinkering also helped us during this project as we were able to use heavily modified 3d printers to print our project parts quickly and neatly. The lazer cutter at the designlab was used to fabricate parts that were too large or bulky for the 3d printer. Hotglue, for me a critical part of any tinkering project, saved the day in our project as some parts which were lazercut needed to be connected to 3d printed parts and these did not fit well and could easily fall apart. Our project also used a screen, the documentation of this screen could not be found, thus we had to tinker our own control board using trial and error, luckily we got it working just in time.

Q1.3 Where would you go hunting for tinkerspiration? List 5 physical and 5 online resources valuable for an I-Tech specialist. In which did you already find inspiration for a project you did or that got on your bucket list?

When tinkering I often use the facilities at the Designlab to laser cut new projects or solder components together. Occasionally when I have a larger project that isn’t exactly moveable I will use the workshop at euros, the rowing association, which is mainly used for boats. Places such as the old electronics baskets in Carre also get my mind racing with new ideas and mechanisms and the smartXP has during my Bachelors provided me with a great space to work together for projects and quickly get things done with thanks to Alfred. Besides the public places I perhaps tinker the most in my student room as I have lots of (arduino) components and tools at my disposal.

Online I often use websites such as reddit and hakster to see what others have created. Usually when I know what i want to make but have no idea how to interface with the sensors then YouTube has some good tutorials. For when I’m writing code I often use ChatGPT to generate the code, solve bugs or explain complex parts of tutorials that I don’t completely understand. I also used to use stack overflow a lot but ChatGPT can now answer most of my questions.

One main project that I finally completed recently was the BeerMeter for our bar. Since I am also part-time board there I thought it would be awesome if we could readout the value of the beer tanks downstairs to determine live how much beer was consumed that evening. This project turned out to be much more complex as just about every predecessor of mine had also attempted this project. After months of emailing with the company and 3 failed prototypes I was finally able to extract the sensor values of the beer tanks and display that at the bar.

Q1.4 List 5 domains, challenges or settings in which you would like to apply tinkering, and explain why. Can you identify some sweet spots, (perhaps beyond the well-known such as STEM education) and can you also define some limitations? Are there 'untinkerable' domains?

Digital fabrication, where projects go from a digital model on a computer to a physical object is a domain that is extremely tinkerable with one of the most notable projects being the RepRap project or the many projects of building and modifying 3D printers. I have also built a few prototypes of projects for plants, monitoring vitals and autoamtically watering or giving them light. I also think this area is extremely tinkerable due to the enormous variety of different plants applications for those plants. I have also always wanted to build a small little drone or rc airplane and think that this domain is great for tinkering, aero foils can be built out of pretty much any material and basic electronics can be used to power the plane.

Tinkering can also be used well in education, in high school together with a teacher who also taught middle school we developed an Arduino board with tons of sensors and actuators that could easily be programmed using a type of scratch that we had also developed for the board. We also added extension ports to allow for the real tinkering experience of trial and error.

During high school one of my main hobbies was tinkering with home automation. I built sensors varying from presence sensors for the lights in my room to a smart pool thermometer that integrated with HomeKit, Alexa and google home.

I try to stay away from tinkering with financial platforms as I consider the risk to be very high, however for some projects I needed to integrate a financial aspect, such as with my facemask vending machine or the house party ticketing system. For this I try to let another company handle all the financial transactions and I try to find a way to only read out that information.

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