Hi everyone!
Welcome back. This will be my final post to update you on
the progress of my hand embroidery project. As a recap… I have
been asked to learn to "make something" by drawing exclusively on
digital networks - - YouTube, social media, online forums, and tutorials. Over
the past six weeks, I have started from scratch to learn how to do hand
embroidery. In the end, I have created a neat little project to give to my
mother as a gift (see YouTube video posted above). But what is more is the
lessons I have learned about the possibilities and pitfalls surrounding digital
networks as a source for learning. Let’s explore these possibilities and
pitfalls below.
Possibilities
Where do I begin? It has
been extremely easy to find resources online that support my learning. I have
found that the best place to start to learn more about hand embroidery was
through different Maker websites, such as Sublime Stitching, Craftsy,
and Sew Guide,
which offer fantastic (and free!) written and visual instructions. I found that
these websites were especially useful when used alongside YouTube tutorials (especially
the Kin
Community), because I could watch a real person demonstrate what I was
reading or looking at in the instructions of the websites mentioned above. This
should come as no surprise, as research suggests that when learners use a
variety of different information sources or modes, they are more likely to be
successful in their learning (Gellevij,
Van der Meij, DeJong, & Pieters, 2002).
Another digital resource
that I found extremely useful was the discussion posts that I posted to a local
fabric shop’s Facebook page, Fabrications
Sewcial Group. Unlike the websites and YouTube tutorials mentioned above,
the discussions on Facebook helped to guide me in the right direction and to troubleshoot.
Truly, it was just nice to speak with other Makers to feel like I was part of
the Maker community. This feeling of connection lines up with the discussion
EDU 5188 students had in Module 4, where the Maker Movement and its reliance on
the internet to problem-solve was discussed. I believe these Facebook
discussion boards are a great example to demonstrate the way Makers have adopted
the principles of Universal Design in their tendency to brainstorm, provide
guidance, troubleshoot, and problem-solve, not as “experts” but as “guides/learners.”
I have found this platform to be most useful, as I felt both guided and
challenged to learn for myself (scaffolding).
Pitfalls
Aside from the absence of a
physical guide sitting beside me (my mom, a friend, a fellow Maker), I believe
the biggest pitfall that I have encountered in the process of learning through
digital networks is something I will refer to here as #fakenew(makers). Just
joking… but seriously, it was difficult at times to discern between experienced
Makers and Beginners, which made a difference in the advice that they offered
in their websites, videos, and discussion posts. Furthermore, as mentioned in
Module 5 in our EDU 5188 class, I had to critically analyze the material
presented to me because often these tutorials have been produced by a
for-profit enterprise. For example, I read about a “great” floss on the Sublime
Stitching website, which ended up being a floss they produced and sold on their
website. This reminded me that while websites can be useful and widely
accessible (for free!), this comes with a catch… in this case, product
placement. For this reason, it is important to approach digital networks
with a critical eye, aware of its biases and ulterior motives. This will help
protect us from #fakelearning.
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