Fostering skills for the 21st century

Favoriser les compétences pour le 21e siècle

Thierry Rayna and Ludmila Striukova
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Ludmila Striukova: SKEMA Business School - SKEMA Business School

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Abstract: Based on a study of a network of fab labs and makerspaces, this article investigates the role that such ‘fabrication spaces' can play in fostering 21st century skills. Using a combination of the two main 21st century skills frameworks—DigComp and EntreComp—developed by the EU Commission, we study by the means of two combined qualitative research methods—semi-structured interviews of 13 fab lab/makerspace founders, followed by a focus group with founders and policymaker—the entrepreneurial and digital skills that are fostered by these fab labs and makerspaces. Our findings are that while fab labs and makerspaces naturally foster some entrepreneurial 21st century skills, only explicit and proactive entrepreneurship and education programme enable to foster the whole spectrum of these skills. In regard to technical skills, fab labs and makerspaces enable to develop skills beyond what is generally considered as 21st century digital skills, because they combine digital skills with hands-on ‘making' skills, since they are themselves mixed environment, both digital and physical. Consequently, the growing importance of ‘maker technologies' may force to redefine what 21st century skills should be.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Technology education; 21st Century Skills; Fab labs; Makerspaces; 3D printing; L'esprit d'entreprise; Enseignement de la technologie; Compétences du 21e siècle; Espaces de fabrication; Impression 3D (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-03
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04096183v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2021, 164, pp.120391. ⟨10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120391⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04096183

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120391

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