The project progressed well, with all objectives, milestones and deliverables successfully delivered. The project team undertook 117.8 person months secondments, during which they engaged in training, networking, development of literature review and research tools, data collection and analysis, writing of outputs and dissemination activities.
The progress against the four objectives was as follows:
1.The project team began the project by undertaking an extensive literature review of work in this area. An online survey was conducted and was completed by 655 early years practitioners, library and museum educators and makerspace staff. Both reports are published on the project website. The activities provided a sound platform for the development of the rest of the project.
http://makeyproject.eu/wpcontent/uploads/2017/11/Makey_Literature_Review_ISBN.pdf(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)http://makeyproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/MakEY_Survey.pdf(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)2.Each country team completed empirical case studies of makerspaces in early years settings, libraries, museums and community spaces, each observing at least five workshops. The case studies have involved over 500 children, over 40 early years practitioners, 11 museum educators, 10 library staff. Key findings are presented in the project book, and in posters hosted on the project website:
https://makeyproject.eu/makey-conference-posters/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)3.A conceptual framework was developed and is published in the project book:
Kontopodis, M. and Kumpulainen, K. (in press) Researching young children’s engagement and learning in makerspaces: Insights from post-Vygotskian and post-human perspectives. In A. Blum-Ross, K. Kumpulainen, K and J. Marsh, J. (in press). Enhancing digital literacy and creativity: Makerspaces in the early years. London: Routledge.
4. A range of recommendations for policy and practice that will foster innovation and entrepreneurship in SME makerspaces and facilitate the use of makerspaces for enhancing digital literacy in early childhood educational institutions and non-formal learning spaces such as libraries and museums were made. These are presented in a range of resources that aim to support schools, libraries, museums and community spaces in organising and delivering makerspaces:
https://makeyproject.eu/resources/(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie)Exploitation and dissemination
The have given keynotes about MakEY at 13 international conferences, organised three symposia at international conferences and given 34 conference presentations about the project in total to date. The project has been presented to policy makers in a range of countries.The final conference took place on 7th – 8th March in Manchester, UK, with 184 conference participants attending.
A project book is to be published in Autumn 2019:
Blum-Ross, A., Kumpulainen, K and Marsh, J. (eds) (in press). Enhancing digital literacy and creativity: Makerspaces in the early years. London: Routledge.
