Incorporating the importance of interdisciplinary understanding in K-12 engineering outreach programs using a biomimetic device

Abstract

The project presented in this paper is designed to motivate interest in the engineering field for K-12 students, especially those who have previously viewed engineering as disconnected from biological sciences or the medical field. This idea is supported by recent trends in biomedical engineering, namely that the number of biomedical engineering bachelor's and master's degrees awarded throughout the United States has more than doubled since 2000, and that the demand for biomedical engineers will increase through 2010. However, to stimulate early interest in the biomedical engineering field, there is an apparent need for simple projects that clearly convey the relevance of engineering to biomedical contexts. This paper describes a novel educational program that seeks to achieve this connection at the K-12 understanding level using a build-and-test experimental device that incorporates physics, biology, teamwork, engineering analysis, and cutting edge technology into a single, integrative project. The build-and-test device used in this program is an actuator that simulates the action of sarcomeres (individual contractile units of muscle fibers) during muscle contraction, which demonstrates how creativity in engineering design may inspired by phenomenon found in nature. To build the device, a group of three or four students are assigned individual tasks that combine to produce a working device. The diversity of these specific tasks also allows students to identify areas of engineering that may pique their interest. Furthermore, the project implements new technology in the form of electroactive polymer (EAP), which produces a motion when subject to a voltage difference. After assembling the device and running the experiment, each student group gathers data from their test and determines basic engineering parameters (i.e., force, amount of work done) associated with the results of their experiment. Finally, the students are also given "challenge questions" to stimulate critical thinking skills by applying the same lessons used to complete their initial analysis in other contexts. We assess the quality of the program based on students' performance in building and testing the device within a given time frame, their answers to challenge questions and basic biological questions that form the basis of this project, and their feedback on the overall program. The authors finally suggest further improvements to the current project based on these assessments. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2010.