The study explores the role of university makerspaces in fostering 21st century skills among student managers within these spaces, with a particular focus on the Red Room at the American University of Beirut (AUB). The researchers conducted focus group discussions and interviews with 22 JEDIs at the Red Room. They analyzed the transcripts to explore how this experience impacted the engineering students’ competencies. The study assessed twelve key areas related to social communication, technology, engineering, systems, and time/resource/knowledge management skills. The findings suggest that managing makerspaces fosters collaborative learning experiences and aids in the development of both personal and technical skills for engineering students.

This dissertation explores the influence of the Red Room, a university makerspace at the American University of Beirut (AUB), on the skills development of engineering students. The Red Room operates with a student-run management approach; it is managed by the JEDIs. The study aims to investigate JEDIs’ perspectives on this experience and its impact on their engineering development. Findings indicate that involvement in the makerspace enhances JEDIs’ self-efficacy in engineering design and transferable skills like problem-solving and communication. The membership in the makerspace is portrayed as a form of situated learning, preparing JEDIs for their future careers in engineering.