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Summary of Article: Exploring the Engineering Design Process through Computer-Aided Design and 3-D Printing

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Summary of Article: Exploring the Engineering Design Process through Computer-Aided Design and 3-D Printing

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Big Idea:

Many STEM classes have been found to consist of teaching concepts and facts in a segmented and discontinuous manner. This article presents the case for integrated STEM instruction, wherein the connections between different scientific subjects (e.g., chemistry, mathematics, biology, physics) and also technology are highlighted for students.

Integrated STEM Instruction:

can be implemented as a project-based task or a design-based task

challenges students to utilize scientific knowledge and skills to solve complex, real-world problems

sparks interest and fuels motivation in students (e.g., via applicability of the topic and provision of different choices)

Key Practices Involved in the Experimental Module:

1. Anchoring phenomena --> video showing racing tournament and presenting the problem

2. Nature of science --> discussions centering around how science 'happens' in the real world and why it 'happens' that way (e.g., engineers rely on subscale testing due to resource cost limitations)

3. Experimental design --> students design and execute experiments to explore how car shape can affect its speed

4. Applying technology --> becoming familiar with using modern technology (e.g., 3D printer) in the way of solving problems

5. Scientific claims --> students claim a certain design is most effective and use evidence from experimental data and discussions to support claim

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Incorporating Practice into a Biology Classroom

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Incorporating Practice into a Biology Classroom

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In biology, we already engage students in laboratory experiments, which are ideally intended to serve as ways of presenting biological concepts in a hands-on manner. However, not all labs are equally effective nor do they offer the same levels of inquiry. I think that, in addition to illustrating an example of integrated STEM instruction, this article presents several teaching and inquiry practices that I can incorporate into planning new lab experiments for my biology classes.

To my understanding, the core idea of integrated STEM instruction is that scientific research depends on the collaboration of several fields of STEM, and this is something I would like to demonstrate to my students in their labs. For example, in an enzyme lab, I would highlight the fact that investigating factors affecting enzymatic activity requires the application of chemistry (e.g., the formation and breakage of covalent bonds, interrupting electrostatic interactions between molecules) and mathematics (e.g., calculating rates of reaction) as well.

Additionally, I would position students to view themselves as scientists in the lab experiment and emphasize their roles as problem-solvers to address real-world issues using the technologies that are available to modern scientists. For example, in a genetics lab, students can take on the role of a lab technician who uses technological techniques, such as restriction enzymes, PCR, and gel electrophoresis, to test the DNA of a patient and determine their genotype for the Sickle Cell Anemia gene.

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A few points that other teachers should consider before planning to implement integrated STEM instruction in their classes:

Assess student prior knowledge about prerequisite concepts and understandings that will be necessary for them to carry out the project- or design-based task, especially since this type of task will be pulling from multiple academic subjects and not all students will have taken the same classes in the past.

Consider differentiation based on student needs. The article mentioned that "instructions were purposefully not provided to students," as one of the aspects of higher-level inquiry is maneuvering an open-ended task. However, not all students may have the readiness for that degree of freedom, and so they may require additional support (e.g., scaffolding of procedure) in order to carry out the task.

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Garafolo, N., Makki, N., Halasa, K., Ahmed, W., Koskey, K., & Visko, D. (2017). Exploring the engineering design process Through computer-aided design and 3-d printing. Science Scope, 41(1), 51-62. Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www-jstor-org.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/stable/26389105?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents