Materials Science as an Avenue for Interdisciplinary SMET Education

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Engineering - Materials Science (57)The mummified remains of the copper-age man Otzi in the Alps in 1991 helps us understand how people lived around 3,500 BC. We also discovered the tools he used to hunt with and helped him to survive thus gaining important insights as to the peoples' understanding of materials around that time. Using Otzi as a focal point for materials science issues has provided us with a wealth of opportunity to explore science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET) concepts. We have developed a single prototype web-based module that uses a constructivist approach and an "interrupted lecture" method that integrates the instructor's lecture with content from our module. This module is meant to be used as an in class experience which will be supplemented by online materials to better educate students with different learning styles. We have engaged non-science majors along with physics and materials engineering students in our freshman materials science class. The key problem that we have addressed is the need to help both non-science and engineering majors develop problem solving skills using this thematic approach for structuring SMET content in materials science. Using this thematic approach our module will include human evolution, art, exploration, politics, health, and transportation, to name a few.