Synthesis Part 1

As I started to synthesize my data, I decided to do make it by hand. Through handmaking, I attempted to add one more layer of immersion to the problem I was studying, and the emotions surrounding handmaking.  In studying my problem (both collecting and documenting) I had decided to handmake in many ways - 1) At the pottery studio to understand the maker mindset 2) make using technology, turn my interviews into little films 3) handmake phase 1 of synthesis. 

Handmaking a synthesis report 

What has emerged from this immersive exercise in handmaking are more questions about the universality of making and also an intensified belief in the power of handmaking. This sort of contradiction makes it a conflicting space to be in. The questions that have resurfaced will be drawn out and reexamined in Part 2 of the Synthesis. 

In Part 1 of synthesizing I saw myself making all my thoughts visual (also drawing from the Visual Leadership course). Through making thought visible, I was able to create a singular and filtered analysis for each person I interviewed. While the short films drew out first level ideas, highlighting key points, analysis, this phase of synthesis makes clearer patterns and co-relations surface. By tying each interview to its core objective, emotions felt around handmaking and conclusions were extracted. 

Example of individual analysis sheet with emotion graph

Individual emotion graphs were then plotted on to a larger grid called the Emotion Map. This representation made it possible to view the core emotions of all 13 interviewees in one space, and to draw visual conclusions and key findings. Each individual emotion was tallied to surface the emotions that were expressed by most people in the data group. 

The core emotions that have surfaced from my conversations are - 

*Mind/ Body/ Hand Union 

*Focus & concentration 

*Pride & ownership 

*Perfection 

*Individual pace 

This map reinstates that Making is good! If the act of Making can bring the 'whole'  being together it will create immense value as a pedagogical approach. This map does answer one of the questions I asked in my problem - Do we feel more when we make, with a resounding YES! 

However, these findings do not answer the question of - Is Making For Everyone. Nor does it allow me to define my pedagogy with absolute conviction. For that to happen, I would need to understand which of the core emotions expressed here are vital to my pedagogy, question them and state my own understanding of their value.  Part 2 of my synthesis will analyze the core emotions in handmaking from the framework of Understanding by Design (UbD). 

Read/ Download my complete Synthesis Part1 here : 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13x3qPL_RgKJwWi-s7sX6eOi3y26fEotQ/view?usp=sharing