From Theory to Practice: A Study on Integrating Makerspaces into Undergraduate Curriculum

This study investigates whether integrating makerspace activities into a formal, credit-bearing course enhances undergraduate students’ ability to innovate and engage in a project-based learning (PBL) engineering curriculum. Using a modified Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) instrument that captures key student-relevant competencies, we compared 42 students enrolled in the “[COURSE NAME]” course (treatment group) with 38 students who used the makerspace for other PBL courses (control group). Rigorous statistical analyses reveal that the treatment group achieved moderate to high gains across all measured competencies, with significant differences observed between groups (p < 0.01, effect sizes ranging from moderate to high). Preliminary qualitative feedback further supports these findings. We conclude that formal curricular integration of makerspace activities significantly enhances students’ innovation and engagement outcomes in project-based learning.