Conceptualization of Biomimicry in Engineering Context Among Undergraduate and High School Students: An International Interdisciplinary Exploration

Author: mycolabadmin
2023-03-17
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Summary

This research explored how high school and university students understand and learn about biomimicry – the practice of solving problems by copying nature’s solutions. The study found that students learn better through hands-on laboratory experiments rather than just theoretical instruction. Here’s how this impacts everyday life: • Helps develop better teaching methods for future engineers and scientists who will create nature-inspired technologies • Improves understanding of how to effectively teach complex interdisciplinary subjects to students • Contributes to developing sustainable solutions by teaching future generations how to learn from nature • Demonstrates the importance of hands-on learning experiences in technical education • Shows how biomimicry education can make engineering more accessible and engaging for students

Background

Biomimicry is an interdisciplinary design approach that provides solutions to engineering problems by taking inspiration from nature. Given the established importance of biomimicry for building a sustainable world, there is a need to develop effective curricula on this topic. Biomimicry has led to numerous technological advances across various domains including industrial design, construction, advanced materials, and biomedicine.

Objective

The study aimed to better understand how students conceptualize biomimicry following bottom-up and top-down biomimetic methods through workshops conducted with high school and undergraduate engineering students. The research explored how students categorize, apply and conceptualize biomimetic knowledge through participation in four-hour in-person workshops.

Results

The analysis revealed that students initially understood the top-down biomimetic approach using vague and generic terms, while describing the bottom-up approach using more precise and technical vocabulary. The laboratory sessions helped students shift from general to specialized language and demonstrated increased ability to conceptually transpose learning to real applications. Students showed higher engagement and understanding during hands-on bottom-up learning compared to theoretical top-down instruction.

Conclusion

The study found that the bottom-up approach of biomimetics was more readily understood by students who could use traditional engineering tools to abstract and apply biological knowledge. The top-down process was perceived as more vague and general. Results suggest that strengthening the principle that makes natural objects unique and increasing interdisciplinary knowledge are needed to help students perform the top-down approach effectively. The findings can help develop curricula to teach both approaches by providing tools to help students generalize ideas and abstract meaning from systems.

Published in:Biomimetics,
Study Type:Educational Research Study,
Source: 10.3390/biomimetics8010125