Meeting Abstract
Science education is most effective when it provides authentic experiences that reflect professional practices and approaches and that address issues relevant to students’ communities. Such educational experiences at the interface of biology, engineering, and physics can be provided by bio-inspiration and biomechanics projects that use digital fabrication. Digital fabrication is the process of designing objects for the purposes of fabricating with machinery such as 3D-printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines. Historically, these types of tools have been exceptionally costly and difficult to access, however recent advancements in technological design have been accompanied by decreasing prices. In the context of higher education, many institutions are creating maker spaces (or fabrication labs) that allow students to gain hands-on design experience using cutting-edge technology. Evidence from the learning sciences suggests that when students are actively creating an artifact for the public, something with a larger purpose, motivation and engagement increase. This talk will describe one example of a fabrication project in the context of an undergraduate comparative morphology class. Students were tasked with using their conceptual understanding of biomechanics to fabricate objects for use as K-12 outreach materials. The associated paper will provide a comprehensive literature review across both biology and science education journals to share the current state of the field, as well as outline best practices for integrating digital fabrication into K-16+ biological education.
