Meeting Abstract
Integration in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is becoming increasingly important to enhance students’ creative thinking and problem-solving skills and to teach students how different disciplines work in harmony, especially biology and engineering. While integration between biology and engineering is found in higher education and graduate research, we have yet to successfully transfer such ideas to formal or informal K-12 programs. The most common form of integration seen involves the use of technology while teaching traditional science topics; for example, using a tablet to learn about anatomy. The goal of our project is to develop, implement and assess a new five-step framework that can allow K-12 biology, applied science, and engineering educators to present material to students in an integrated manner. The framework enables the educator to explore biological principles related to a physiological system, such as an animal, that can be quantified or explained using common engineering principles such as conservation of energy, buoyancy etc. Initial studies, including online interviews and surveys, show great interest from educators but also significant skepticism because of lack of preparation and knowledge in both fields simultaneously. Therefore, in addition to providing the framework, our long-term goal is to develop a repository of integration ideas, tools and activities that teachers with all educational backgrounds can adopt without it demanding extensive time, cost or preparation. This framework also serves as a guiding model for the development of bio-inspired educational tools for museums and K-12 classrooms. We believe the integration of STEM disciplines in K-12 programs can expose future scientists and engineers to the collaborative and innovative nature of STEM fields, and therefore increase their interest and engagement in the respective fields.
