The roles of material prototyping in collaborative design process at an elementary school

Oct 15, 2026

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Co-invention projects in elementary school immerse pupils in complex, open-ended design tasks through hands-on, practical work. Physical materials are central, turning conceptual ideas into tangible prototypes that enable embodied thinking and mediate knowledge creation. Yet constraints from artifact material properties and pupils’ uneven material skills shape how design unfolds. Building on limited adult-focused studies, the research analyzes prototyping roles in Finnish classrooms via video-recorded collaborative sessions, revealing prototypes as mediators for ideation and collaboration.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Maker-centered learning and collaborative design

Design tasks, iterative making, and epistemic objects

The roles of material prototyping in collaborative design process at an elementary school Varpu Yrjönsuuri, Kaiju Kangas, Kai Hakkarainen and Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, University of Helsinki, Finland Abstract Co-invention projects in elementary school engage pupils in complex, open-ended design tasks ina practical, hands-on way. Physical materials are an intrinsic part of design, involving trasformation of conceptual ideas into material forms, such as prototypes. These tangible objects mediate embodied thinking and act as material-social mediators of knowledge creation processes. However, the material properties of the designed artifact and pupils’ varying skills and levels of material knowledge constrain the design process. While previous studies of materiality in design have mainly focused on adults, this study aims to analyze and describe the different roles of material prototyping in an elementary school collaborative design process. A co-invention process was conducted in a Finnish elementary school during spring 2017, with the task of designing solutions for everyday problems. The data consisted of six video recorded design sessions, where small teams of 5th graders prototyped their inventions. We analyzed the video data across macro-, intermediate-, and micro-levels. The results revealed that pupils used prototypes as mediators for ideation and collaboration. They tested their ideas with prototyping, and material manipulation occurred during collaborative ideation. Material representations supported the verbalization and demonstration of ideas. Some challenges also emerged; prototype construction was a slow and laborious process, the division of labor tended to be unevenly distributed, and the model took a dominant role over the designed artifact. We conclude that support from the teacher and the learning environment is critical for utilizing the full potential of material manipulation in an elementary school setting. Keywords prototyping, collaborative designing, elementary school, maker-centered learning, materiality, video analysis Introduction Maker-centered learning offers pupils the opportunity to engage with the world by designing, making, and knowledge creating (Clapp, Ross, Ryan & Tishman, 2016; Peppler, Halverson & Kafai, 2016; Seitamaa-Hakkarainen & Hakkarainen, 2014) . In recent years, much research has been conducted to investigate pedagogies and practices of maker-centered learning, where making broadly refers to various activities of creating, designing, building, and tinkering (Ryan, Clapp, Ross & Tishman, 2016) . Currently, many educators have been interested in the global maker movement as it has provided various informal and out-of-school hands-on learning opportunities for pupils to enhance and cultivate skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) through creative use of digital fabrication technologies (Honey & Kanter, 2013; Blikstein, 2013) . While maker-centered learning emphasizes self-directed learning, engagement, risk taking and using failures as creative learning opportunities, it also highlights the importance of iterative processes of designing and making in collaborative settings (Ryan et al., 2016) . Although in the out-of-school programs, students usually work on individual projects, solidarity with others and the opportunity to contribute to their work are highlighted (Petrich, Wilkinson & Bevan, 2013, 157) . In a school context, collaborative work is more common: the design project emphasizes sharing and pursuing a shared purpose with other team members, and the team builds on and adapts to ideas, while helping each other to achieve goals (Kangas, Seitamaa-Hakkarainen & Hakkarainen, 2013a) . Learning to use various traditional and digital tools for creative purposes and understanding the potentiality of materials are all important components of maker-centered learning pedagogies (Ryan et al., 2016; Seitamaa-Hakkarainen &

FAQs

What is the study’s focus regarding material prototyping?

The study analyzes and describes the different roles of material prototyping in an elementary school collaborative design process.

How was the co-invention process conducted and what data were used?

A co-invention process was conducted in a Finnish elementary school during spring 2017, and data consisted of six video-recorded design sessions with teams of 5th graders prototyping inventions.

What key functions did prototypes serve for pupils?

Prototypes functioned as mediators for ideation and collaboration, supported testing of ideas through prototyping, and helped material representations with verbalization and demonstration of ideas.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by nayy☆