Education course helps develop ‘maker mindset’
In a class with a hands-on, design-driven approach, students created tabletop games using the BeAM makerspaces.
Students in Keith Sawyer’s EDUC 571: The Maker Movement and Education course got a syllabus and a challenge: create original tabletop games from scratch, using the tools and resources in Carolina’s BeAM makerspaces. No electronics. No pre-existing formats. Just their own creativity and a table to play on.
Sawyer is a leading creativity and learning researcher and the Morgan Distinguished Professor in Educational Innovations at the UNC School of Education. He saw tabletop games as an ideal way to cultivate what he calls “the maker mindset” — a hands-on, design-driven approach to learning. The assignment immersed students in campus makerspaces, where they could experiment with tools like 3D printers and laser cutters as part of their creative process.
“They would be learning about design principles, maker competencies and creativity skills, while at the same time learning how to use these makerspaces,” Sawyer explained.
Each game had to include a theme, story structure and catchy name and be designed for two to four people to play in under 20 minutes. Students had to 3D print custom pieces, create 2D components using laser and vinyl cutters and design printed boards or cards.
Anna Engelke (M.A. ’17) is the education program manager at BeAM, after being part of the inaugural MEITE cohort. (UNC-Chapel Hill)
“Professor Sawyer was able to give us restrictions but still allow creativity,” said Luke Wilkinson, a student in the class, who found that “some restrictions and navigational boundaries help you find creativity and that perfect reflection of who you are.”
From hand-sculpted clay figurines to sleek laser-cut boards, each game reflected its creator’s personality through a unique blend of storytelling, strategy and visual design.
Inspired by shuffleboard and Skee-Ball, Andrew Bartlett, a business administration and exercise and sport science double major, designed Push and Score. Meagan Leung, a computer science and information science double major, created Recipe Rush, in which players race to collect ingredient cards and complete recipes.
Educational Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship
MEITE prepares students to use technology, research and design thinking to drive educational innovation — equipping graduates to create, implement and evaluate impactful solutions across diverse sectors and evolving learning environments.
From MEITE student to BeAM mentor
A member of the inaugural cohort of the Master of Arts in educational innovation, technology and entrepreneurship program helped shape the learning environment for creating these games. Anna Engelke ’17 (MA) is the education program manager at BeAM, working closely with faculty from more than 30 academic departments to integrate design and making into their courses.
Engelke credits the interdisciplinary nature of the MEITE program with preparing her to lead cross-campus collaborations like this one.
“The [MEITE] program helped me develop a sense for how different disciplines can work together to be able to create things,” Engelke said. “That’s definitely something I’ve carried through into my current role.”
For this class, Sawyer and Engelke designed a syllabus combining technology workshops on tools like Adobe Illustrator and 3D modeling with foundational education principles. Future assignments will explore robotics and educational research-driven design.
Anna Engelke (M.A. ’17) is the education program manager at BeAM, after being part of the inaugural MEITE cohort. (UNC-Chapel Hill)
Cultivating the maker mindset
Senior Sarah Gonzalez admitted she hadn’t realized campus makerspaces were even available before the course.
“We’ve spent the whole semester so far making these games and learning how to use the BeAM makerspaces,” said Gonzalez. “Seeing it all come together has been really cool.”
The project gave students a hands-on way to turn abstract ideas into tangible experiences. Sawyer hopes the skills they’ve gained — creative problem-solving, iterative design and the ability to work within constraints — will extend far beyond the classroom. Whether they go on to teach in K–12 settings, present ideas in corporate boardrooms or collaborate across disciplines, the experience of making something with their hands will shape how they approach learning in any field.
“I told the students, ‘I’m not teaching you how to be game designers. What I’m teaching you is the ability to think like a maker,’” Sawyer said.
