Strategies for Designing, Building, Inventing and Creating

Strategies for Designing, Building, Inventing and Creating

The Clubhouse is filled with creative tools, creative people, and the time to explore. Beyond “learning-by-doing,” it’s “learning-by-designing.” When young people first visit the Clubhouse, they are able to choose among introductory exploration activities, including designing their own dream house, mixing their own digitized music, experimenting with image processing and building a robot. As they continue their involvement in the Clubhouse program, participants begin to develop more in-depth projects, either individually or as part of a project group. Over time groups of projects become portfolios which can support college and career ambitions.

There are some elements of supporting a Clubhouse that can be helpful in implementing the principle of "learning by designing.

Being a Role Model

The Influence of Adults - The curiosity, questioning, exploring, designing and creating demonstrated by staff and Mentors help set the creative tone of the Clubhouse. Seeing adults learn and figure things out sends the right message to Clubhouse participants. Look and be ready for the unexpected. Those a-ha! moments become opportunities, since they can serve as the beginning of a positive relationship to learning. Help Members gain a sense of control over and responsibility for the learning process. Help recognize personal achievement in learning. One of the best ways to be a role model is to share your own engagement in working with tools, people, and ideas.

Demonstrate Problem Solving Skills - Don't solve all the problems for a Member. Answer the question that is being asked, but encourage Members to take responsibility for figuring out problems. Help increase their awareness of multiple strategies and solutions. Use questions as a context for reflection and discussion. Time spent figuring it out together is more effective than "teaching" the tools. staff and Mentors must also have the courage to say "I don't know how to do it, but let's see if we can figure it out together." Sometimes a problem takes many attempts to solve, and can take many weeks. Help Members understand that design is an ongoing process.

Age and Experience - Age can affect a young person’s attention span for projects and activities. Younger Members may have less attention for sustained projects, while older Members may work on projects that span several weeks or months. Clubhouse Members start with very different levels of experience. However, at the Clubhouse you will find that technological experience does not always follow age. There may be a 10-year-old Member who is an expert programmer, and a 17-year-old who has never used a mouse. Try not to assume. Try to accommodate to the individual before you.

Making Mistakes - Rather than being wrong or bad, mistakes actually are essential to the learning process, and part of the fun. Some of the most amazing discoveries and effects are the result of mistakes, which can be viewed as explorations. Make it safe to make mistakes and then try again. Praise taking risks, even the ones that don't work. "Failures" are part of the process, and lead the way to finding success.

Recognizing Concepts - Point out concepts that cross many areas of design. For example, "Cut, Copy and Paste" work well in text, music, photography, video, 3D worlds and many more areas.

Talk Technical - Don't "dumb down" to Clubhouse Members. Use terms that would be used in business situations. Bring in the latest device, article, or coolest new products. Talk about the hardware, how much RAM, etc. Use technical terms. Form a Tech Team that becomes familiar with the technology and the language.

Be Direct - Snap a photo, instead of explaining how the camera works. Most kids will say "Can I take a picture?" The answer "Yes" is an empowering experience. Hand the camera over. Show just enough to take the picture. Then as questions arise, show just the tool or feature that is required.

Using the Design Tools

Design Tools - The Clubhouse is filled with tools to create and design. Popular types of design activities include:
- Graphics and Art
- Animation and Interactivity
- Digital Photography and Image Editing
- Writing and Publishing
- Music and Sound Production
- Video and Special Effects
- Internet Publishing
- Robotics with LEGO, Mindstorms and Crickets
- 3D Worlds, Prototype and Architecture
- New Tools from MIT like Scratch

Professional Tools - Software chosen for the Computer Clubhouse is generally tool-based and professional level. Ideally Clubhouse software has "a low threshold and a high ceiling" allowing an easy start but an infinite number of possibilities and support of increasingly sophisticated projects. Each level of experience builds toward greater overall mastery, confidence and technical fluency.

Starter Tools (e.g., KidPix, the Intel Microscope, Digital Cameras) preview the possibilities. They are user friendly, if not fail-proof, offer a fun and successful experience and provide generous help and support.

Middle Level Tools (e.g., Photoshop, LEGO, Acid) contain many powerful features that lead to the "hard fun" that keeps Clubhouse Members interested.

Advanced Tools (e.g., Premiere, 3D Studio Max, Sonar) ensure that there is always more to learn, stretch with and be challenged by.

Language Issues - When possible, tools should be in the language of the country. The next best option is using English. Clubhouse Members are astoundingly fast at figuring out how to make things work, even in a foreign language like English.

Real Tools for Real Projects - Real-world software launches Clubhouse Members on a path of developing skills that go way beyond basic tasks. These are the kinds of skills that support career and college ambitions.

Providing Compelling Materials and Work Areas

Compelling Materials - Make available, and visible, physical and craft materials such as clay, LEGO bricks, pipe cleaners, magazines with photos and action figures. Choose items that draw attention. Physical projects made of these kinds of materials often become the basis for a technology project.

Construction/Deconstruction Areas - Having an area for construction/deconstruction encourages people to build their own robots, computer-controlled machines, 3D models, environments and so on. Simple tools for this area might include scissors, pliers, screwdrivers, saws, hole punch, paper cutter (with supervision), rulers, balsa wood, found objects, frames, mat boards, out-of-service computer equipment (do not use a computer monitor), metallic paper, ribbons, feathers, craft foam, wire, as well as traditional craft and art supplies. Items used to doodle, tinker, take-apart, study, and experience often lead in surprising ways to projects involving technology.

Work Areas that Work - Consider how an artist’s studio, a workbench, a TV studio, and other creative places are arranged—for example, open work surfaces, easy access to tools and materials. Get a system to store LEGO pieces and art supplies. Keep these areas organized so that people can find the items they need easily.

Reference Library - Be sure to fill the Clubhouse with materials that help people find the tools they need to accomplish their projects. Some materials to have available and displayed are user manuals from the software boxes, how-to guides, tutorials, idea and inspiration books, videos that show artists and designers at work, image books, and models of completed projects.

Developing Projects

Projects Over Time - Projects evolve and grow over time. A project could be picking and saving your favorite colors, out of the millions of colors that are possible on a computer. This is an example of a small project in preparation for future projects. As Clubhouse Members explore, they may start and return to projects many times. Sometimes the original project expands or becomes part of a new project. Then, some projects just don't grow. Let them go. Projects that have personal meaning will be finished. Consider the unfinished ones as necessary explorations to gain the skills needed to express ideas.

Orientation - For some Members, this may be their first experience designing a project based on their own idea. Help newer Members find an idea and work on short projects that can be finished in one session. Many people like to leave the Clubhouse with something that they finished and printed--and that reminds them to come back to the Clubhouse

Engaging Projects - The key to an engaging project is to find a theme, a subject, a software title, a camera, or an idea that is of interest to that particular person. Supply the tools and start the Member into immediate action. Give support as needed.

Learning about the Process of Design and Invention - As Clubhouse Members design their projects, they learn valuable technical skills and also learn about the process of design and invention. These skills include how to conceptualize a project, how to choose among the tools that are available, how to ask for help, how to persist and find alternatives when things go wrong, how to get beyond stuck-places and boredom, and how to view a project through the eyes of others.

Make the Process Visible - Display photos or videos that show Members in the act of creating projects. Display works-in-progress as well as finished works.

Consult the Clubhouse Village - View hundreds of projects created by Clubhouse Members. Find instructions, and tutorials and many other project supports. Use "Things to Try" to start many kinds of projects.

Showcasing - Providing an audience for the work of Clubhouse Members is an important factor in sustaining projects. Set aside occasions for Members to show and talk about their work to each other. To develop a larger audience, involve Members in planning an art exhibit, animation festival, open house, or other celebration where they can invite friends, family, and other community members to view and learn about their work.

See Clubhouse: Tools for Conversations & Portfolio Development, EDC/Center for Children and Technology, 2003.

Exposing Youth to New Ideas

Workshops and Demonstrations - Workshops can focus on a type of project such as making a game, CD cover, animation, robotics, or family album; a type of software such as Photoshop or Flash; or a subject or skill such as photography or music. Guest speakers can show projects they have created and talk about how they did it. Look for people who bring interesting new ideas.

Field Trips - Meeting creative professionals can broaden perspectives about what is possible. Exposure to people using tools that Clubhouse Members have learned in the Clubhouse will give Members positive ideas about their own career.