Manufacturing at the Faclab

Initial situation

The teaching team realized that it was necessary to complement existing teaching methods with approaches that were more in line with students’ expectations. It was also important to take into account the evolution of our society and in particular the digitalization accelerated by the web, collaboration and interdisciplinarity. “Fabrication”, in the logic of the “Do It Yourself”, “Makers” and “FabLabs” movements that are now well established in urban environments, represents an interesting approach to rethinking teaching, learning and the appropriation of knowledge. The objective “Build to think and build to learn” is the core of this approach which places fabrication as a central value to better appropriate, understand and acquire new knowledge.

This project meets two major pedagogical objectives. First, it introduce fabrication in the broadest sense, both tangible (3D printing, laser cutting, DIY, electronics, etc.) and intangible (public policies, laws, economic models, user experience, etc.) as a learning mechanism. The second objective is to serve as a laboratory for experimentation in the reform of pedagogical methods in order to make available to the entire community ways to appropriate these techniques for implementation in other teachings.

Project implementation

Each year, the teaching team proposes a general theme, an innovation challenge related to digital service. For example, it has addressed challenges around mobility, energy, federal elections, productivity tools, etc. This general theme is explored during 15 weekly sessions of 90 minutes, which offer a pedagogical path covering the entire spectrum of a project from its launch to the evaluation of a concrete realization. Each session consists of a workshop during which the technique is presented and then implemented in the context of the chosen challenge. The students, coming from different disciplinary backgrounds (Computer Sciences, Information Systems and Services Science, Social Sciences, etc.), are asked to work in groups mixing their disciplines.

This teaching project is based on two elements. First, fabrication as a prototyping mechanism that can be applied to both the tangible and the intangible. The idea being that an artifact (objects, results) represents a very powerful element to transmit knowledge and to support collaboration and co-learning. The second element is Design Thinking as a process of innovation and conception that encourages experimentation and the right to make mistakes in solving complex problems. The teaching team relies on a traditional Design Thinking cycle that begins with an empathy stage to become familiar with the problem to define it. Then, an opening phase is used to generate ideas to make choices for a prototyping phase. Finally, the prototype is evaluated and can be used as a basis for further iterations.

The teaching team supervises the groups of students to help them contextualize the work environment specific to each challenge (e.g., project related to the HUG). She also accompanies them in each step of the process of defining a solution. The artifacts produced by the students can vary greatly (a story, computer code, drawings, flyers, a website, a concrete object, etc.). The materialized result depends on the project itself. Students must submit a final report on their project and make an oral presentation of their project. The evaluation of learning is based on the report and the presentation.

A project such as ThinkData, a data protection and transparency awareness service, is a good illustration of service and content production, but other types of artifacts can be produced such as service specifications or more concrete productions. Projects with field immersion are also planned (e.g., with the Clair Bois Foundation).

Thoughts and advice on implementing a similar project

The main characteristic of the project is that it is evolutive. When it was created in 2008, the aim was to integrate all the skills acquired in the Master’s program in Information Systems and to develop creative approaches to solve complex problems through innovation and the design of digital services. The tangible and collaborative integrative approach with students from other disciplines has been a decisive element in the success and value of this course, which is unattainable through a traditional path. The teaching team notes that the more interdisciplinary, the more enriching the exchanges.

Thanks to the space and tools made available by the FacLab of the University of Geneva (FabLearn Residence), teachers can rethink all or part of their teaching by proposing to students to acquire skills related to manufacturing. The pedagogical approach is thus entirely transposable to other courses. The vocation of the whole project being to be a common good, everything that is done is open (Creative Commons, Open Source, etc.). However, the teaching team is thinking about other tools or platforms that could better accommodate the management of student projects in all their features.

Student feedback

[Feedback freely translated from French] “The workshops give ideas for developing a project by involving users. Tools that I would try to use again in the future. ” “Beneficial and allows us to see other ways of working. ” “It was a good alternative for remote workshops.” “The project started a little late in the semester and the quality of the project was affected. ”