Artifacts

Posted on by Nattasit Dancholvichit

PURPOSE

To present or explore practical demonstrations that connect or influence the learning experience in digital and tactile activities. 

DESCRIPTION

Artifacts are man-made creations intended for a practical purpose. Learning through artifacts encompasses both the study of the role of artifacts in influencing human experiences in engineering and the study of learning to use artifacts as experiential tools. 

UNDERLYING EDUCATIONAL THEORIES

object-based learning, active learning, connectivism 

PEDAGOGICAL BENEFITS 

  • Variations in student assessment can be observed due to different learning experiences provided through artifacts. 
  • Artifacts can enhance students’ appreciation of creativity within the context of human relationships. 
  • Artifacts can help connect students to the real world through the concept of design thinking. 
  • Some artifacts provide historical insights that can be interpreted through the thought processes of the creators. These observations can lead students to better understand some of the reasonings behind the engineering design choices. 

STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION 

  1. Artifacts can be based on existing products in the market, historical inventions, or a working prototype that can accommodate a practical learning experience.
  2. The ability to create precise digital representations of artifacts with low capital investments is now possible, hereby potentially enabling classroom adoption on a wide scale. Some prototyping options such as Arduino or 3-d printed materials can also be economical and scalable.  
  3. Artifact activities can either be performed in team or individual depending on the scope of the learning objectives. 
  4. Consider presenting a pre-activity, such as a virtual experience, to engage students in thinking about artifacts prior to initiating a hands-on learning experience. Develop guidelines to provide structure for the activities.  
  5. Consider prompting students with open-ended questions during the activity to promote real-time discussion and deeper engagement with the artifacts.  
  6. Consider providing time for individual or group-level reflection regarding students’ experiences with the artifacts. 

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING 

Vasudevan, Nitish, and Conrad S. Tucker. “Digital representation of physical artifacts: The effect of low cost, high accuracy 3d scanning technologies on engineering education, student learning and design evaluation.” ASME 2013 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. American Society of Mechanical Engineers Digital Collection, 2013. 

Bernhard J. (2012) Learning Through Artifacts in Engineering Education. In: Seel N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_1648