Understanding Inclusion, Retention, and Success of Women and Gender Minorities in Makerspaces

We propose a study to examine how MIT’s current makerspace ecosystem affects gender minorities’ continued engagement or withdrawal from that environment, as well as their sense of accomplishment within it. To approach this question, we will conduct quantitative and qualitative surveys and a guided experiment in an instrumented makerspace. We will seek to answer our research questions by understanding the experiences reported by gender minorities at MIT. By formally researching the stories we hear about in our work as educators, we can be prepared to better address the inequities experienced by diverse gender identities in the workshop environment during our teaching. The study will allow us to recommend policy improvements to makerspaces that support diversity and inclusion efforts.