Critical Making Workshops: Sparking Meta-Discussions for Critical Thinking in Vocational Education

Regina Sipos; Alexander Kutschera; Janina  Klose

doi:10.14288/ce.v16i1.186863

Critical Making Workshops

Sparking Meta-Discussions for Critical Thinking in Vocational Education

Authors

Regina Sipos Technical University of Munich
Alexander Kutschera Oberlab Makerspace
Janina Klose Technical University of Berlin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/ce.v16i1.186863

Keywords:

TVET, Critical Making, Problem-Oriented Learning, Participatory Learnng

Abstract

This article explores how critical making - or a combination of critical thinking and making - could enhance and future-proof technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The article reports from a series of multi-stakeholder participatory workshops with educators, caretakers, pupils and makers. The workshops themselves represent an example of critical making, hereby providing the participants with an immediate understanding of the concept. Through discussions, the stakeholders mapped the viability, challenges and opportunities for a successful implementation of critical making into German curricula. The paper ends with reflections on the general difficulties of updating a curriculum and proposes a workaround: complementing the technical approach of the existing TVET curriculum with maker tools to foster digital skills and meta-level discussions to foster critical thinking.

Author Biographies

Regina Sipos, Technical University of Munich

Regina Sipos, PhD is Postdoctoral Researcher at the Chair for Design and Transdisciplinarity, Technical University of Munich. Her PhD thesis focused on postcolonial computing, critical technical practice, collaborative technology design, and social innovation in grassroots communities.

Alexander Kutschera, Oberlab Makerspace

Alexander Kutschera, PhD is the Association Director of the Oberland maker space. In his research, he combines microbiology, plant sciences, and biochemistry. In his role in the maker space, he experiments with open source hardware and software projects and creates maker workshops for community-based settings.

Janina Klose, Technical University of Berlin

Janina Klose is a Research Associate at the Technical University of Berlin. Her work focuses on how enthusiasm for technology, environmental awareness, and entrepreneurial spirit can be conveyed in socially disadvantaged contexts. She is currently investigating implementation models for repair education as part of her doctoral thesis.

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Published

2025-01-31

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Articles

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