Biologically Inspired Design for Engineering Education- 9th/10th Grade Engineering Unit (Curriculum Exchange)
- Conference
- Location
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Minneapolis, MN
- Publication Date
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August 23, 2022
- Start Date
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June 26, 2022
- End Date
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June 29, 2022
- Conference Session
- Page Count
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4
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--40911
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/40911
- Download Count
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222
Paper Authors
Roxanne Moore Georgia Institute of Technology
Roxanne Moore is a Senior Research Engineer in the G.W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on design and engineering education with a focus on promoting diversity and inclusion. She has served as PI and co-PI for grants from multiple sponsors including NSF and Amazon totaling more than $9M. In addition, her STEM outreach programs and curricula have impacted hundreds of thousands of K-12 students nationwide. She is the co-founder and director of Georgia Tech’s K-12 InVenture Prize, a statewide invention competition, open to all students and teachers in Georgia. She earned her BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2007, and her Masters and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 2009 and 2012. Dr. Moore received the Georgia Tech Teaching Effectiveness Award in 2018.
Michael Helms
Dr. Michael Helms is a Senior Research Scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he is also Co-Director of the Center for Biologically Inspired Design. He holds a BA in Finance from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, an MS in Computer Science from DePaul University, and was awarded a PhD in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2013. Prior to attaining his PhD, Dr. Helms was a technology consultant for the financial services industry, and the Founder of PatternFox Consulting, formed in 2017 to provide biologically inspired design services to Fortune 500 industry partners. Since 2006 Dr. Helms has focused on the cognitive aspects of design by analogy and biomimetics, and the development of tools and methods to both practice and teach biomimetics.
Caroline Greiner Georgia Institute of Technology
Caroline Greiner is pursuing her Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is passionate about engineering education, bio-inspired design, and prototyping. Ms. Greiner has a background in Biomedical and Health Sciences Engineering, having earned her Bachelor of Science in that field from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in 2021. As an undergraduate, Ms. Greiner enjoyed being a teaching assistant, something she has continued doing at Georgia Tech. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys exploring the intersection of art and science, fostering cats, and spending time in the outdoors.
Abeera Rehmat University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Abeera P. Rehmat is a Research Scientist II, at Georgia Institute of Technology’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC). She has experience conducting research in engineering education that spans pre-college up to the collegiate level. Her research interest involves investigating how engineering and computer science education can foster students critical thinking and problem-solving skills to prepare them for the challenges of this evolving world.
Meltem Alemdar Georgia Institute of Technology
Jeffrey Rosen Georgia Institute of Technology
Marc Weissburg
Julia Varnedoe
Julia Varnedoe is a Research Associate II for the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC) at Georgia Tech. She works with the curriculum development team to create innovative programs that address the needs of students and teachers in the K-12 community. Current projects include the NSF funded BIRDEE (Biologically Inspired Design for Engineering Education) curriculum, STEM-ID, and K-12 InVenture Prize. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, she had a successful career in marketing communications for Delta Air Lines, and has spent the past 14 years as an educator. Varnedoe graduated with a B.S. from Florida State University, an MBA from Stetson University, and an Ed. S. from Kennesaw State University in Instructional Technology.
Abstract
How did a kingfisher's beak inspire the design of a bullet train? As a part of the NSF-funded Biologically Inspired Design for Engineering Education (BIRDEE) project, we present an 8-week unit aimed at first-year high school engineering classrooms. We hypothesize that incorporating Biologically Inspired Design (BID) into high school engineering courses may offer a way to bridge the STEM gender gap and make engineering more welcoming for women, based on their historical participation in biology and bioengineering. This is the first unit in a 3-course sequence, and it is also designed as a standalone experience for students who may not continue along an engineering pathway. The course is comprised of a short introductory challenge centered around the Lotus Effect (the way lotus leaves stay clean in a murky swamp) and a longer design challenge based on thermal insulation for food delivery for senior citizens. The course builds important engineering design process skills, specifically the development of design requirements based on user needs and tools for accessing biological systems for engineering. The curriculum will be freely available online, along with teacher pacing guides, student worksheets, and videos. A classroom materials list is included, along with lower-cost alternatives where appropriate.
Moore, R., & Helms, M., & Greiner, C., & Rehmat, A., & Alemdar, M., & Rosen, J., & Weissburg, M., & Varnedoe, J. (2022, August), Biologically Inspired Design for Engineering Education- 9th/10th Grade Engineering Unit (Curriculum Exchange) Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40911
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