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Engineering changemakers: maker space EDI community and culture to enhance creativity, collaboration and exploration for success during industry 5.0
Cory, Corrina
Cory, Corrina
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EESD2025_#54_Cory.pdf
Adobe PDF, 5.66 MB
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Authors
Editors
Date
2025
Educational Level
ISCED Level 5 Batchelor's or equivalent
ISCED Level 6 Master's or equivalent
ISCED Level 6 Master's or equivalent
Curriculum Area
Geographical Setting
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Abstract
There has been a focus on 21st Century Skill development for 2 decades with international policy agendas ... increasingly focusing on the 21st Century Skills needed by future workers in response to Industry 4.0 (Saleem et al, 2024). The author previously published a pilot study for 21st Century skills development through a methodology combining Project Based Learning (PBL) and EntreComp (Cory et al, 2019a). This methodology has now been fully implemented in our BEng/MEng updated engineering programmes at the University of Exeter. Industry 5.0 has arrived and the potential for progress is based on collaboration among the humans and machines' with rapid advances in big data analytics, Internet of Things, collaborative robots (cobots), Blockchain, digital twins and future 6G systems (Adel, 2022). Education requires a further shift in 21st Century Skills to higher levels of creativity, emotional intelligence quotient, empathy, flexibility and collaboration (Ikenga and van der Sijde, 2024). There is a need to 'create a culture that will encourage innovation, exploration, and inventiveness in the place of work' (Ikenga and van der Sijde, 2024). This paper outlines the development of an Engineering Maker Space with Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at the heart of its culture, complementary activities to promote creativity and a PBL/EntreComp curriculum methodology running simultaneously with modules in fundamental engineering, mathematics and python programming. Activities included a freshers week hope and optimism workshop and a Stanford d.school (Hayes, 2021) inspired green space, confidence building dance activity as part of the educational philosophy of E21- Engineering the Future. Curiosity, empathy, connection and self-confidence flowed from the dance activity as students and staff expressed themselves and communicated their ideas effectively in a safe, playful and free outdoor space.'Difficult challenges in a complex changing world require creativity to tackle, and ambiguity is a natural part of that creative work' (Small & Schmutte, 2022). These open-ended activities reduced barriers between peers and staff and were fundamental to onboarding students with experiences that help them feel comfortable within ambiguity, the creation of a flat hierarchy and a start-up, entrepreneurial environment. The onboarding activities, PBL/EntreComp methodology and EDI Maker Space, facilities strong partnerships with staff and peers and builds an emotionally intelligent, reflective, innovative and technical making culture with a heightened student experience to prepare graduates with skills for the Future of Jobs (World Economic Forum, 2025).
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Keywords (free text)
makerspace, workshops, industry collaboration, engineering education, engineering for sustainable development, education for sustainabilty, sustainability in engineering