2016 IEEE 16th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies

Smart Cup, Wisdom Creation: A Project-Based Learning Initiative

for Maker Education

Haonan Wang1 Shanghai, China
1 e-mail: czhou@vc.ecnu.edu.cn
Department of Education Information Technology
East China Normal University Yonghe Wu1*
1Department
Shanghai, China of Education Information Technology
e-mail: whn434543138@126.com East China Normal University
Chun Zhou2 Shanghai, China
2School e-mail: *yhwu@deit.ecnu.edu.cn
of Foreign Languages
East China Normal University
Abstract—— Maker Education aims at learners from STEAM education. The knowledge of
thinking and creating things in innovative and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and
ingenious ways, armed with Arduino open-source Math is not imparted in blunt teaching but in the
software and hardware as well as 3D printing process of making [3]. Students are expected to
technology. Inspired by the idea of Better Life with acquire knowledge and skills imbedded in
Wisdom Creation, the authors designed a project & elaborately designed Maker projects instead of
problem-based learning initiative, Smart Cup, to through rigid book reading and teaching [4]. The
explore the application of Maker concept in education. Maker spirit, a strong thirst for knowledge and
The paper illustrates how learners’ design, innovation, and the educational ideal of
programming and 3D modeling skills are acquired and “teaching in practice” share so much in common
enhanced through the process of making a Smart Cup, by coincidence [5]. In Maker Education, basic
with its features demonstrated and actualized with 3D knowledge is not imparted to students directly;
printing. A project-based learning model is also instead, students, as a Maker, are granted the
proposed in the paper as a reference for other Maker opportunity of integrating and employing
Education initiatives and practitioners. Our initiative knowledge from multiple disciplines[6].
indicates that learners’ ability to innovate and Students do their learning in creation, picking up
integrate multi-skills is essential to practicing Maker theoretical knowledge in practice, and in turn,
Education. applying it in practice again, which forms a
Keywords--- Maker Education; Project-based virtuous circle.
Learning; 3D Printing; Arduino As Dewey put it, students get knowledge
and information through the class that the
I. INTRODUCTION
process is not real learning. However, it is
As argued by John Thomas, the significant that learn in practice [7]. When
project-based learning involves complex tasks reviewing literature related to Maker and 3D
and challenging problem-solving processes [1]. printing, we find that current Maker Education
New Horizon Report predicts a trend that efforts are mainly directed to dissemination of
American college students will convert from a theoretical knowledge, with very few to its
Consumer to a Creator of knowledge within the practical implementation and almost no
next three to five years. Maker Education is empirical mode to follow especially when it
expected to play a leading role in this comes to Maker Education creations. On this
transformation [2]. Maker Education, which account, we initiated our Smart Cup project,
advocates cultivating innovation via designing and bringing out a creation which
project-based learning, differs to a large extent

2161-377X/16 $31.00 © 2016 IEEE 486

DOI 10.1109/ICALT.2016.113
embodies the ultimate goal of Maker Education:
to promote innovation and problem-solving
skills. With this highly feasible case of practice,
we also attempt to develop a learning model for
Maker Education and thus provide a reference
model for project-driven learning.
II. A PRACTICE CASE OF MAKER
EDUCATION
A. Stage I: Work designˉInspiration drawn
from daily life
Creativity is the highest form and core of
students’ capabilities of innovation. In the course
of making the Cup body, students are expected
to actualize their design with 3D printing, which
helps build their knowledge and ability of 3D
modeling.
The printing outcomes in this case are
presented as follows:
Figure1. Outcomes of 3D Designing and Printing

human individual ability [8]. As mentioned III. A PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

above, the ultimate goal of Maker Education is
to develop students’ ability to innovate and solve
problems. Students’ ability to do designing,
programming and 3D modeling is the key to
achieving this goal. The making of the Smart
Cup involves two phases: first, to actualize the
envisioned features of the Cup, which is meant
to develop students’ ability to design and write
programs; then, to print the body of the Cup,
which is meant to cultivate students’ capability
of 3D modeling.
B. Stage II: Procedure and outcomes ˉ An
exemplification of ability building
1) Arduino and Programming ability
Arduino open source hardware, the most
important tool in hand of Maker [9], provides a
pivot for practicing Maker Education and proves
to be an effective instrument to build students’
MODEL FOR PRACTICING
MAKER EDUCATION
The project-based learning is best advisable
for practicing Maker education [11]. We
integrate the project-driven theories prevailing in
current Maker Education and the experience we
accumulated in making the Smart Cup, and here
in the paper propose a project-based learning
model for Maker Education, as presented in the
Figure 2.
Figure 2. A Project-based Learning Model of Maker

programming ability. The Smart Cup is designed Education

with the following three features: (1) displaying The whole process is driven by the Project,
temperature of the water in the Cup instantly; (2) which is composed of four linear but
reminding Cup users to drink water according to inter-related stages: project input, project
advised temperatures; (3) enabling Cup users to processing, project output and project
set temperature alerts for different drinks (water, monitoring. Learners are always at the center of
tea, coffee). The core code is as follows: each stage, with their participation experience
// Temperature setting to remind given priority to all the time.
if(DHT.temperature== 40(45/50)&&ledState==HIGH&&one==HIGH) The project input stage is about setting up a
2) 3D Printing And Modeling Capabilities scenario for problem solving. The scenario
The 3D printing is a personalized tool for should suffice for motivating learners’
creation, acclaimed for its “design thinking” [10]. participation in the project. The problems to
In terms of Maker Education, 3D printing is solve may arise from learners themselves or
considered most powerful for developing realistic ones through their own observation or

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experience. Maker Education.
The stage of project processing, the core of
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
the entire Maker Education course design, is
about learning and experiencing course content. This work is supported by the 2014 Sha
The course content generally comprises three nghai Pujiang Program (Grant 14PJC034) an
sections, and in each section learners are d the 2014 Shanghai “Technology Innovation
encouraged to participate and explore. The first Action Plan" Project (Grant 14511109300).
section is to create, with the second to integrate
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