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Education researchers have noted that maker education programs in schools promote “curiosity and play in open-ended exploration . . . and put the joy of learning back into learning” (as cited in Mulcaster, 2017, p. 26; Burker, 2015). The “focus tends to be less on the actual construction of the artifacts and more on how the knowledge is shared between the learners” (as cited in Mulcaster, 2017, p. 26; Fleming, 2015). Maker education prepares “students to be producers, not consumers, of knowledge. Students in a makerspace make things; they do not just simply use them” (as cited in Mulcaster, 2017, p. 26; Papert & Harel, 1991). Maker education also promotes “inquiry, play, imagination, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and personalized learning” (Hughes, 2017, p.103).
Context: Assessment, Documentation and Reflection
According to the Ontario Ministry of Education (OME) (2020), where the study was carried out “the primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning . . . [through] the collection of meaningful information that will help inform instructional decisions, promote student engagement, and [can] improve . . . learning for all students” (p. 45). Assessment for learning “may include observations, . . . learning conversations, questioning, conferences. . . [and] self-reflections” (OME, 2010, p. 28). The OME (2012, 2015) suggests three stages for pedagogical documentation: observing and recording student experiences, interpreting the learning in the service of pedagogy, and responding, sharing, and building a culture of inquiry and collaboration. The Capacity Building Series (OME, 2015) states, “pedagogical documentation is intended to uncover the student’s thinking and learning process, it has the potential to help us look at learning in new ways” (p.1).
Theoretical Framework
The authentic assessment framework guides this research study. In this paper, the researchers decided to focus on assessment, specifically authentic assessment. Further assessment is understood to be coupled with documentation, reflection and sharing of the learning experience.