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Biology Meets Engineering: Students Exploring the Connections Between Animals and Robots
Biology Meets Engineering provides transdisciplinary education to prepare students for a future in STEM. We have developed and hosted a 3-week summer program on campus, through which high school students in and around Cincinnati have applied the fundamentals of sensory biology, robotics, and computer programming. An undergraduate course expands upon knowledge gained in the summer, and we provide paid internship experiences in university STEM labs. We developed a curriculum that integrates students’ learning of sensory biology and, respectively, robotics, to create experiences that reflect modern approaches to scientific practice and research. For example, students learn about bats’ use of sonar and apply those mechanisms to develop robots that respond to sonar. Professional development has enabled local teachers to use the curriculum in high school science courses. Students’ participation in transdisciplinary tasks has facilitated their use of science and engineering practices, especially those related to computational thinking. Students have shown improved perceptions of STEM, especially with respect to collaborative problem solving. Additionally, we have seen a positive impact on students’ motivation and self-efficacy, especially for students in high school settings who begin with lower self-efficacy in these areas. Our next project will document changes in students’ motivation and science inquiry in high schools across the state.
Pillar 1: Innovative Use of Technologies in Learning and Teaching
Biology Meets Engineering creates learning experiences authentic to modern approaches to robotics design. Students in the summer program and in the undergraduate course build robots that incorporate a variety of sensors (e.g., light, sonar, color). They are exposed to the fundamentals of robot control and electronic sensors. Students learn about animal sensory behavior and computer programming, and they apply that knowledge to create robots that autonomously respond to stimuli in the environment.
Pillar 2: Partnerships for Career and Workforce Preparation.
Biology Meets Engineering incorporates an internship experience for students to gain work experience and career preparation through paid positions in biology and engineering research labs in the summer at the University of Cincinnati. Faculty mentors in biological sciences or engineering opened their labs for these research opportunities.
Pillar 3: Strategies for Equity in STEM Education
Biology Meets Engineering has remained committed to recruiting students primarily from urban schools that serve larger percentages of students who are historically underrepresented in STEM compared to suburban schools. We have also prioritized gender parity in the summer program. The project team visited high school courses and built relationships with teachers, guidance counselors, and other school personnel to help recruit interested students. This strategy paid off in the interest we have seen in the program.
Discipline(s)
Computer and informational technology science
Life sciences
Target Gradespan(s)
High school (9-12)
Target Participant(s)
Youth / students
Project Setting(s)
Formal Education
Informal Education