A Virtual Project-Based Learning Sandbox for Mimetics and Medically Inspired Classroom Engineering (MiMICRE)

摘要：美国的健康科学STEM职位比合格的工人多得多。我们 在数学和科学技能方面也落后于其他经合组织国家。需要更好的STEM教育， 准备并激励K-12学生--特别是代表不足的群体。21世纪STEM工作需要 扎实的STEM内容知识，以及解决问题/批判性思维能力和团队合作精神。协作性、 基于游戏的生物工程学习经验有可能满足这些STEM相关需求，并 让更多的各类人员为健康科学工作做好准备。然而，需要创新才能推动 实施，降低成本，并增强真实性/现实主义和K-12学生参与度。的一个关键方面 我们的STEM缺陷是我们未能给学生基本的数学/科学技能，并未能传达他们在现实世界中的信息 关联性。基于项目的学习(PBL)和K-12的工程学可以实现这一点，但目前受到以下限制 教学时间、教师培训、项目资源成本，以及基于项目的参与度评估的难度 经历。研究表明，团队STEM协作和应用于社区问题的能力有所提高 STEM成果--特别是对于代表性不足的群体。然而，可以获得融合了 这两个特点的教学是有限的；普通的PBL缺乏足够的现实性，适合高水平的高中 学习；以及自定进度、易于实施和支持的创新、经济高效的解决方案 协作功能尚不可用。为了响应这些需求，这一多阶段的SBIR项目将利用 强大的前期工作/数据，用于开发、验证基于游戏的生物工程工具并将其商业化 模仿学和医学启发的课堂工程(MiMCRE)。正如设想的那样，它将采用应用数学 以及以生物工程和仿生为重点的项目的设计、分析和模拟方面的科学。学生 将协作设计假肢，应用数学和科学模型对其进行评估，然后3D打印和 真实世界中的测试结果。MiMICRE将销售给高中、中学后和非正式教育。市场。 我们的STEM应用团队将与生物工程、多样性、评估顾问和工程合作 软件行业合作伙伴将在第一阶段追求三个概念验证目标：1)展示集成的可行性 STEM用基于游戏的生物工程环境的计算机辅助设计和计算分析的商业工具 2)展示MiMICRE中生物医学工程项目的功能，以吸引学生团队、支持 原型，并连接到NGSS和CCSS数学标准；以及3)与学生一起测试MiMICRE。在以下方面取得成功 通过系统可用性评分验证可用性，通过完成以下挑战验证实施的可行性 典型的课堂课程和时间，支持使用小组互动和数字设计的有效协作- 分享，在知识显著增加的情况下改善结果，将为更大规模的 第二阶段演示-在此期间，我们将增加仿生/生物工程项目的多样性，添加 支持中学后应用程序，改进原型，并进行更严格的MiMICRE评估。

Abstract: The US has many more health science STEM jobs available than qualified workers to do them. We also lag other OECD nations in math and science skills. Better STEM education is needed that engages, prepares, and inspires K-12 students—especially under-represented groups. 21st Century STEM jobs require solid STEM content knowledge along with problem-solving/critical thinking skills and teamwork. Collaborative, game-based bioengineering learning experiences have the potential to meet these STEM-related needs and to prepare more people of all types for health science jobs. However, innovations are required to boost implementation, reduce cost, and enhance authenticity/realism and K-12 student engagement. A key aspect of our STEM deficit is our failure to give students foundational math/science skills and to convey their real-world relevance. Project-based learning (PBL) and engineering in K-12 can achieve this, but is currently limited by instructional time, teacher training, project resource costs, and difficulty in evaluating engaging, project-based experiences. Research shows that team STEM collaboration and application to community problems improve STEM outcomes—especially for under-represented groups. Yet access to programs and experiences that meld these two features with instruction is limited; common PBL lacks sufficient realism for upper-level high school learning; and innovative, cost-effective solutions that are self-paced, easy to implement, and that support collaboration are not yet available. In response to these needs, this multi-phase SBIR project will capitalize on strong preliminary work/data to develop, validate, and commercialize a game-based bioengineering tool called Mimetics and Medically Inspired Classroom Engineering (MiMCRE). As envisioned, it will employ applied math and science in the design, analysis, and simulation of bioengineering- and biomimicry-focused projects. Students will collaboratively design prosthetics, apply math and science models to evaluate them, and then 3D-print and test outcomes in the real world. MiMICRE will be sold into high school, post-secondary, and informal Ed. markets. Our STEM application team will work with bioengineering, diversity, and evaluation consultants and engineering software industry partners to pursue three proof-of-concept Phase I Aims: 1) Show the feasibility of integrating commercial tools for CAD and computational analysis with a game-based bioengineering environment for STEM; 2) Show the functionality of a biomedical engineering project in MiMICRE to engage teams of students, support prototyping, and connect to NGSS and CCSS math standards; and 3) Test MiMICRE with students. Success in verifying usability via a System Usability Score, feasibility of implementation by completing challenges during typical class sessions, and time, support for effective collaboration using group interaction and digital design- sharing, and improved outcomes with statistically significant knowledge increases will set the stage for a larger Phase II demonstration—during which we will add to the diversity of biomimetic/bioengineering projects, add support for post-secondary applications, refine the prototype, and conduct more-rigorous MiMICRE evaluation.