Cool Course: Critical Making

All photos by David Song

During a recent meeting of her Critical Making course, Steinhardt Clinical Associate Professor Cyd Cipolla turned off the lights so that classmates could better appreciate the spiked choker Aidan Donev (Steinhardt '26) was wearing around his neck. Illuminated with blue, red, and purple NeoPixels, it played "Red Light" by Siouxsie and the Banshees, one of Aidan's favorite bands.

On the day of the presentations, Cipolla's students circled a conference table cluttered with blinking lights, circuits, and wires as they showed off their creations one by one-mini robots, illuminated clothing, and devices that play music, spin, and even create art.

With no engineering or other technical prerequisites, the course aims to make science and technology more accessible to nonspecialists by fostering collaboration.

"The expectation is that they have no coding or making experience," Cipolla says. "They should have a level of curiosity, and they should be willing to be frustrated by the work they're doing."

Cipolla notes that there may be barriers to pursuing computer programming, engineering, and 3D printing even as a hobby, especially among those who may recognize that they're from groups underrepresented in those fields.

"The larger question becomes how do we make science and technology more inclusive where people of all levels of education and understanding can feel welcome?" she says. "I feel like if you are being asked to use technology on a regular basis, you should be allowed to learn how it works."

The final projects mark a culmination of months of lab work where students learn programming and coding with NeoPixels, servo and DC motors, sensors, and microcontroller boards.

"I had ZERO experience in coding and robotics. I came to the first class worried that I had signed up for something beyond my abilities," says another student, Harper Lin (Steinhardt '26). For her final, Harper painted and programmed an animatronic eye to rapidly shift left and right as a social commentary on anxiety.

Along with the lab work, the syllabus includes readings and discussions on concepts such as cyborg theory, science and technology studies, and accessibility in crafting and maker spaces.

"I learned that tinkering with the physical material of technology is essential for anyone seeking to understand the societal, cultural, and political implications of the technologies we use every day," Harper adds.

"I have them play collaborative games at the very beginning of the semester, and do exercises that encourage them and force them to work together," says Cipolla. "We are in a collaborative working space. So when we're in the lab, the directive is to ask each other for help, point things out to each other, and share the things that you figured out."

In that spirit of knowledge sharing and accessibility, each student makes a website with instructions on how to build the device they create for class-a way to give back to the broader DIY community.

"I was able to learn how to make the 'punk' style of jewelry that my necklace was inspired by and which I have been wanting to do for a long time," says Aidan of the choker he made. "This experience will help me in the future with design and possibly creating my own little shop where I can sell jewelry. The freedom to explore your interests within the context of the class was helpful in learning new skills that I can apply to my career in the future."