Making as Method in Teaching: Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Objects and Hands-on Learning with Materials

In medical education, technological innovation often focuses on the digital and virtual. In the analogue space, physical learning tools seem to come readymade - pre-programmed mannequins, printed textbooks or the ubiquitous articulated plastic skeletons. The market for mass-produced objects in medical education is vast, however we concern ourselves here with important but overlooked learning materials that fall outside this digital-industrial complex: handmade objects, crafted using (often) simple, low-cost, locally sourced materials, also known as DIY objects. Educational materials have long been hand-crafted, yet this topic receives little attention in the healthcare professions education literature. In this Eye Opener article, we aim to bring DIY objects out of the shadows and in doing so, introduce to the healthcare professions community some of the main theories, movements and approaches behind making as a teaching method. To further our understanding of the role of DIY objects in medical teaching we adopted an ethnographic method that involved making the objects ourselves. Our Eye Opener suggests a greater emphasis can be placed on making one's own teaching materials and on making as a learning activity. We discuss how making facilitates active and multisensory modes of learning including enhancing spatial awareness, helps students to challenge the status quo in medicine and encourages environmental sustainability in the classroom. We propose some applications of making in the classroom, such as exploring more diverse representations of bodies and studying the environmental impact of medical education materials.