RCN-UBE Incubator: Integrating Bio-inspired Innovation into Life Science Education Through Interdisciplinary Communities of Practice

本项目旨在通过纳入生物学启发设计和创新原则和学习经验，改善本科生物教育，为国家利益服务。仿生设计将我们对生物系统的知识融入到研究和开发中，以解决问题并开发技术发明和创新。生物启发创新负责开发新材料，药物和其他有益于社会的材料，已成为生物领域日益重要的组成部分。然而，在教育环境中，理解和应用生物学启发的解决办法可能没有得到充分利用。这个项目将解决的问题是，本科科学教育如何在高等教育课程中包括对生物启发设计和创新的理解和应用？这个问题将通过一个研究网络的创建和合作来解决，该研究网络的重点是开发和分享教学实践，以在本科生物学中注入生物启发的创新。这个RCN-UBE孵化器网络汇集了来自生物学，工程学和教育领域的跨学科专家团队，通过确定主要挑战和机遇，随后制定初步教学材料和网络发展的5年计划，解决将生物学启发的创新融入本科生物学和STEM教师准备计划的挑战和机遇。该项目的总体目标是通过在本科生物学课程和本科教师培训课程中注入生物启发创新来改善本科生物教育。这将通过建立一个由生物学、工程和教育专家组成的RCN-UBE孵化器网络来实现，以：(1)确定将生物激励创新整合到本科生物学教育中的挑战、机遇和现有/期望资源；(2)确定在生物激励创新教育中提高教育者和学生的多样性和包容性的挑战和机遇；(3)开发一系列案例研究。综合最佳教学实践和样本资源，将生物启发设计整合到高等教育中；(4)为网络及其工作的发展制定五年计划。通过加强人力和智力资本，将生物启发的创新整合到本科生物学中，这一网络倡议将：1)促进教师努力与学生强调生物学和工程设计之间的联系；2)提高现代生物学跨学科的整体表现和实践；3)通过积极主动的重点外展和教师网络扩展，为来自代表性不足群体的学生提供丰富的教育经验，为更加多样化和包容性的本科生群体提供丰富的教育经验；4)改善职前教师项目本科生的生命科学培训，提高K-16 STEM管道的教育成果；5)促进生物学学生和专业人员与邻近STEM领域的其他人合作的新努力和机会。该项目由促进竞争研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）、生物科学理事会、生物基础设施司、教育和人力资源理事会、本科教育司共同资助，作为他们应对《本科生物学教育的愿景与变革：行动呼吁》（http://visionandchange/finalreport/）所提出的挑战的一部分。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving undergraduate biological education through inclusion of biologically inspired design and innovation principles and learning experiences. Bio-inspired design incorporates our knowledge of biological systems into research and development to solve problems and develop technical inventions and innovations. Bio-inspired innovation, which has been responsible for the development of new materials, medicines, and other materials that benefit society, has become an increasingly important component of the biological field. However, understanding and applying biologically inspired solutions may be underutilized in educational contexts. The question this project will address is, how might undergraduate science education include the understanding and application of bio-inspired design and innovation in higher education coursework? This question will be addressed through the creation and collaboration of a research network focused on developing and sharing pedagogical practices for infusing bio-inspired innovation in undergraduate biology. This RCN-UBE incubator network brings together an interdisciplinary team of experts from across biology, engineering, and education to address the challenges and opportunities of integrating biologically inspired innovation into undergraduate biology and STEM teacher preparation programs by identify key challenges and opportunities followed by the development of preliminary pedagogical materials and a 5-year plan for growth of the network.The overarching project goal is to improve undergraduate biological education through the infusion of bio-inspired innovation in undergraduate biology programs and undergraduate teacher preparation programs. This will be accomplished through the creation of an RCN-UBE incubator network of experts from biology, engineering and education to (1) Identify challenges, opportunities, and existing / desired resources for integrating bio-inspired innovation in undergraduate biology education, (2) Identify challenges and opportunities for improving diversity and inclusion of educators and students in bio-inspired innovation in education, (3) Develop a set of case studies, a synthesis of best pedagogical practices, and sample resources for integration of bio-inspired design into post-secondary education, and (4) Develop a 5-year plan for growth of the network and its work. By strengthening the human and intellectual capital for integrating bio-inspired innovation into undergraduate biology, this networking initiative will: 1) Facilitate efforts by faculty to emphasize the connections between biology and engineering design with their students; 2) Improve the overall representation and practice of modern biology as interdisciplinary in nature; 3) Result in enriched educational experiences for a more diverse and inclusive group of undergraduates through pro-active focused outreach and network expansion of faculty working with students from underrepresented groups; 4) Improve the life science training of undergraduate students in pre-service teacher programs and improve educational outcomes across the K-16 STEM pipeline; and 5) Catalyze new efforts and opportunities for biology students and professionals to work with others in adjacent STEM fields.This project is being jointly funded by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.