Seeing power with a flashlight: DIY thermal sensing technology in the classroom

Area of Science:

• Science and Technology Studies (STS)
• Sociology
• Public Health

Background:

• The 'making and doing' approach is increasingly recognized in academic fields.
• There is a need to integrate practical, hands-on projects into university curricula.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and theorize the teaching of 'making and doing' through a specific technology project.
• To explore how a do-it-yourself (DIY) technology project can foster critical understanding of socio-technical systems.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative DIY technology project was taught to undergraduates with no prior electronics experience in Canada and the United States.
• Students built low-cost digital tools (thermal flashlights) for making thermal images.
• Students used these tools to research their surrounding environments, investigating power relationships and infrastructure.

Main Results:

• Students investigated social power dynamics within infrastructures and their connection to industrial power (heat, electricity).
• Learners understood the significance of controlling power, light, and temperature in relation to infrastructure and environmental health.
• Students transitioned from passive consumers to active investigators of socio-technical systems.

Conclusions:

• The 'making and doing' pedagogy empowers students to produce unique knowledge and reimagine their environments.
• Integrating making and doing in university courses can create new, scalable research platforms.
• This approach has the potential to transform social and technical infrastructures by blurring the lines between teaching and research.