“I loved the alternative approach to learning,” says Caoimhe Byrne, who took the elective as a neuroscience undergrad. “We focused on practical, hands-on techniques instead of the more traditional forms of delivery which can get very repetitive after a while.”
For Economics undergrad Nikita Fernes, it was the opportunity to learn about 3D printing that drew her in the elective: “For someone with no technical experience it was great to have an option to learn this creative skill.”
As for Robin Jowett, who is studying law, the module gave her clarity on her path ahead. “As someone who isn’t 100% sure what is ahead for me, doing this module showed me that there is not always just one result from a degree, one answer to every question or one way to approach a problem.”
The Designing the Future elective at UCD Innovation Academy is the first multidisciplinary module of its type in Ireland. It has a grand name, and it has lofty goals.
In the world we find ourselveswith a future that we cannot predict, the module is focused on expanding students’ horizons.
Within the MakerSpace students will have the chance to learn how to use what for many might be daunting technology – 3D printing, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Vacuum Forming & Model Moulding, Laser Cutting and 2D Design.
With sustainability at its core, the module introduces students to what is possible in the circular economy no matter what their discipline – you definitely don’t have to be an engineer student to participate in other words.
Students of the module come from all different backgrounds and they all learn to collaborate and use one another’s expertise to come up with brilliant, innovative outputs.
MakerSpaces like the one at UCD offer students the workshop experience and are safe places to practice with tools and technology. If a student is feeling adventurous or curious about how to use this ever evolving technology, not just in their careers but in their lives, this is the course where they can get their feet wet.
In true UCD Innovation Academy style, a key focus of this module is learning from doing.
Eleanor Kelly, who leads Convene at UCD Innovation Academy, the government’s Human Capital Initiative that’s behind the module, says, “The MakerSpace focuses on the skills needed to be successful in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – students of all disciplines take on technological innovations but it’s not all about the tech; just as importantly students are learning problem solving, resilience, collaboration, communication and creative thinking.”
An example of a final project in one of the classes is to create an action figure using 3D printing.
The students also had to design the packaging using vacuum forming, model moulding, and write an origin-story behind their action figure.
All of these designs were created using sustainable processes.
Students who enroll can expect to learn in a fast-paced and fun environment. They will have a lot of independence to let their creative spirit run free. And they will be introduced to skills that are critical in a future where sustainability has to be forefront of all that we do.
Whether or not they decide they want to pursue a career in this space, they will know what is possible. They will know, for example, how crowd-sourced manufacturing, on-demand 3D printing and open source design can lead to less waste, and how “distributed manufacturing” can reduce the carbon footprint in the transportation of goods by reducing the physical transportation that takes place.
Author: Lucy Carrigan
This module’s design was funded by Convene. Convene brings together Ireland’s two largest universities, University College Dublin and Technological University Dublin, to transform university and enterprise engagement in support of an innovative and agile Irish society and economy, powered by the workforce of the future. Convene is funded by the Human Capital Initiative, an historic investment in Irish higher education that’s future proofing graduates with relevant skills, identifying emerging needs from enterprise and promoting reform and innovation in higher education.
For more information, please contact Eleanor Kelly, Strategic Partnerships Lead at UCD Innovation Academy, Eleanor.Kelly@ucd.ie