Growing up, I tinkered… whether it was crafting a spaceship with my red, green, and blue Legos for my Star Wars figurines to travel to other galaxies or converting a cardboard box into a palatial Barbie mansion with paint, fabric, and glue, I enjoyed the process of making something with my hands.  As I turned older, opportunities to create and tinker in school came in the form of science projects and a Tennessee history scrapbook in 7^th grade. However, as the educational level increased, the opportunities to tinker seem to decrease. Why is it acceptable for children to tinker but not adults?

In adulthood, I admit there are a few opportunities to tinker that I have found through quilting, assembling furniture (until Tab A does not fit into Slot B), lawnmower maintenance, and replacing windshield wipers (helps when you purchase the correct type)! Campers on Mission provides excellent opportunities to witness expert tinkerers as older homes and buildings need retrofitting for modern conveniences. One can observe creative solutions as the minds of problem solvers navigate solutions with the supplies available on hand. Admittedly, I often hear the phrase, “Close enough” uttered from a few of these tinkerers when they have exhausted their repertoire of ideas, but there are oodles of years of experience among COMers that needs to be passed down to younger generations.

As every personality assessment I have ever completed indicates, I am an investigator, so when pondering heavy issues such as tinkering, I delve into the research available to me. What was uncovered is that tinkering education does exist for teenagers or adults, just not much outside of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines or after school programs. Adding to the science disciplines, I have admired many creations from art and music where I’m certain tinkering was foundational to the making process. So, how can tinkering (constructionist learning) pedagogy be added to the teachings in the discipline of sport management?

Having a conversation after lunch on Sunday with a fellow educator, Breanne, I was reminded of the scene from the 1995 film Apollo 13 where tinkering became critical to saving lives (click here for the movie clip). It may never be a life or death situation in sport management, but there is value in transformative learning that occurs when “teachers are not dispensing knowledge into students, but rather are there to help students understand their relationships…to making: with tools, materials, and processes.” This kind of teaching aligns with the need for Gen Z to have “guides by their side, rather than a sage on the stage.”

Without outlining all of the benefits of a tinkering learning model, one can imagine the importance of a culture that can solve problems, trouble shoot, and think critically. My mind travels to one of my favorite television shows The Amazing Race where contestants are frequently required to assemble something without directions, only a model as their guide. Viewers are witness to various approaches when one contestant could map the assembly in their mind while others, like myself, need to use a hands-on approach. The only solutions implemented for sport management so far have been computerized simulations and an escape room type puzzle activity, but I would enjoy more options. Maybe facilities management would let us install a door or something; however, at Carson Springs that turned into an all-day project last May! I relish the opportunities to work with my hands and celebrate all the things that can be done. Maybe, that’s why I love the 2010 Delta Faucet commercial with Count von Count’s song entitled Hands (click here to play the ad/song).

All you creative minds out there, help me brainstorm ways for my students to create with their hands so they are learning about the sport industry. Please share about the last time you tinkered as well. What did you do? How do you implement tinkering in your life and what type of learning results out of the process?