There is a growing trend of using digital production, such as additive manufacturing, in direct consumer markets. Digital production enables new and advanced tools, which provide shorter development time and lower cost for manufacturing. In this paper we focus on the education and learning environment for digital production and prototyping at a fabrication laboratory (FabLab). FabLab (Fabrication Laboratory) is a small-scale innovation space offering digital fabrication and production. A FabLab is, among many things, a platform for learning and exchanging experience when experimenting and developing new solutions. FabLabs bring together students, researchers and teachers as well as industrial partners in a single physical location for the purposes of designing, prototyping, and do-it-yourself manufacturing. This explorative and creative environment provide insights to knowledge creation, based on the constructive learning theory, which address active involvement by the participants. To take full advantage of this creative learning environment, aspects such as student characteristics, the nature of the subject matter, and the teaching carried out by the staff, also needs to be addressed. © 2019 International Institute of Informatics and Systemics