2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Makerspaces have become essential components of engineering education, offering students opportunities for hands-on, project-based learning that nurtures creativity, problem-solving, and technical skill development. This study examines the role of an undergraduate student staff member in a university makerspace, focusing on how these experiences contribute to their professional and personal growth. Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), this research explores how students traverse the four stages of experiential learning—concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation—within makerspaces. This study investigates the learning processes within these environments through qualitative analysis of reflective narratives and project artifacts from an undergraduate student participating in a makerspace user design internship. The research aims to answer the following questions: (1) How do undergraduate students engage in experiential learning within makerspaces? (2) How does involvement in makerspaces influence students’ technical and interpersonal skill development? Findings suggest makerspaces act as dynamic ecosystems where students immerse themselves in project-based tasks, critically reflect on their experiences, and translate insights into actionable strategies for future endeavors. The participant’s reflections emphasize the importance of structured project engagement, peer collaboration, and iterative problem-solving in makerspaces. Additionally, the study highlights the necessity of incorporating experiential learning frameworks into makerspace programming to enhance student engagement and educational outcomes. These findings contribute to ongoing discussions regarding experiential learning and its implications for engineering education, reinforcing the argument that makerspaces play a transformative role in students’ academic and professional development..