New Initiatives Grant Final Report
“Scalable Makerspace Fan Creation Station”
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
Project Activities: MET270 (Solid Modeling) students helped create the fan design as part of a class project. See attached photos. From these design ideas, Professor Grieb created a final prototype design that we used to create twenty fan project kits. A Fan Creation LibGuide, instructional videos, and a survey were created for this level 1. The Level 2 content is in development, but the draft videos have recently been completed.
Results: Level 1 fan project kits: 10 students, 1 faculty member, and 2 K-12 students made these fans. 10 surveys were completed. Surveys indicated an even split between a preference for video versus written directions. Most students found the project easy, but they all asked if there were more projects they could make once they completed this one. The project evolved over time and we refined the delivery which resulted in a kit that easier to deploy on larger scale and teaches a multitude of STEM skills.
Accomplishments: We now have a freely available LibGuide that provides detailed directions (video & written) along with a supply list and other supplemental information that anyone can use to create their own mini fans. This has also provided us with a working model we can use for other DIY projects.
Obstacles: The COVID pandemic was a monumental obstacle to completing our project. Fortunately, with a three-month extension we were able to meet most of the outcomes (with some modifications) though with smaller numbers of participants then we had anticipated. The activity we did not complete was creating the level 3 version of the fan project. We also had to modify the kit project activity from a mobile physical station to take away kits.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
At our college we’ve had minimal student activity on campus so we were limited in how we could publicize and engage students with the project This led to just a couple students making fans in the beginning. Yet, we had additional students (and faculty members) contact us about creating their own fans because they had heard from someone who made one that it was a great experience making the fans and they should try it. This includes our EOP Program Coordinator contacting us about having the 90 students in their upcoming summer program possibly complete this project.
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
Pauline Shostack
Librarian/Professor, Coulter Library – Onondaga Community College
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