I work in Higher Education -- currently in a 4 year Art and Design College. Like it or not, the reality is that for many students, the pursuit of a Bachelor's Degree is primarily an economic transaction. They (or someone supporting them) provide tuition dollars to a college, and the college provides an education that will offer income opportunities not available without the degree. My personal belief is that is transactional approach to education is ultimately self-defeating and potentially harmful. We live in increasingly uncertain times, with emerging technologies rapidly affecting our cultural and economic landscapes. I firmly believe that it is my ethical obligation as an educator to enable my students to meet these challenges head - on, by helping them learn to think with a critical, nimble eye. We can no longer to teach to a specific vocation, practical skill set, or theoretical framework. Rather, we should provide methods and methodologies so that our students remain life long learners after they graduate into whatever profession they choose, giving them the internal reseources to adapt to whatever professional life throws at them.
The lab
My current job is running a space called the openlab. It's the college's center for emerging technology. A team of my colleagues and I designed the lab to support much of the philosophy stated above. It was originally considered by many within the college to be a "Maker Space", and in some respects it is. The lab has several 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl and paper cutters, Arduinos, Raspberry Pi's, soldering irons, etc. However, in actuality, the whole school is a making space, and has been for as long as it has been in existence. Rather, what my space aims to do is facilitate our students to learn how to learn how to integrate emerging technology into their creative practice. I operate under the assumption that all the software. platforms and digital equipment we teach with will be obsolete the day our students graduate. (This is the nature of practicing in a digital environment, it's iterative, constantly evolving, never standing still). With this in mind, we don't don't teach students how to use specific equipment in the lab, we try to create an environment where they can use self-directed learning techniques to acquire the knowledge needed to learn how to use ANY equipment they might encounter.
That said, our students and I do get to play with some pretty cool toys on a daily basis.