2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Using an Entrepreneurial Mindset and Biomimicry-Based Design to Better Engage First-Year Engineering Students

Presented at First-Year Programs Division (FYP) - Technical Session 11: Projects

This is an evidence-based practice paper.
The entrepreneurial mindset (EM) and biomimicry are generally foreign terms to first-year engineering college students. Although these topics are not a foundation of most first-year engineering college programs, their inclusion in the curriculum can drastically adjust the lens through which students view the world and their future careers.
This paper explores the development and deployment of a new multiple touchpoint lesson plan to ignite creative thinking and communication skills in engineering students while establishing biomimicry and the EM as essential components of their engineering knowledge base.
The new curriculum deployment occurred in the second semester of the first-year engineering program. The course explores engineering mechanics and design topics concurrent with applying physics topics in an engineering laboratory. The EM and bio-inspired design supply the foundation for curriculum from which the instructor can explore many disciplines to include art, writing, engineering, math, and science. The enigma of Da Vinci is the starting point for an exploration of how art and science interact. Students are introduced to the EM and biomimicry topics during the 4th week and then explore them further as part of an EDP (Engineering Design Challenge) during the 6th week.
A qualitative analysis was performed using a new reflective tool, PhotoVoice. The purpose of the assessment was to better understand the impact of the course on the student vision, the operation of the course relative to what they have encountered in their educational careers, and student-perceived learning outcomes.
A preliminary review of student reflections has revealed themes of “Changed Perspectives,” “Brainstorming Benefits,” and “Engagement in the Classroom” when describing the impact of the course on their career visions. For the paper, the student reflections will be studied further to identify potential additional themes as well as comments that highlight lesson elements with significant impact and those opportunities for further adjustment.
The study will conclude with intervention details, lessons learned, and “next step” actions driving course enhancements and extensions such that the lessons may be effectively recreated in other engineering classrooms.

Authors

Mr. Randy Hugh Brooks http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8266-7428 Texas A&M University [biography]

Howdy,

After 23 years in Telecom building LD, internet, and email platforms and networks, I observed that the front line personnel that I was hiring didn’t have what I considered to be skills that they should be bringing to the table.

I began investigating why, and that led me to high school. Alas, I began my journey in Education in 2010 inhabiting the classrooms of Lovejoy High School, where my two daughters attended. I redubbed my PreCalculus course as Problem-Solving with Brooks and was also afforded the opportunity to lead an impactul Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Principles of Engineering (PoE) course, a project-based learning survey of the engineering discipline.

Since the Summer of 2015 I have been privileged to work with the Texas A and M Sketch Recognition Lab (TAMU SRL) to evaluate a couple of online tutorial tools (Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS)) currently under development, Mechanix and Sketchtivity, that provide immediate constructive feedback to the students and student-level metrics to the instructors. I presented on this work at the state and national PLTW Conventions and at CPTTE in 2016.

I also spent 5 semesters beginning the Fall of 2015 taking online courses learning how to construct and deliver online courses. This resulted in a MSEd from Purdue University in Learning Design and Technology (LDT).

This widely varied background prepared me well for my next big adventure. Beginning in August 2018 I became the Texas A and M Professor of Practice for the Texas A and M Engineering Academy at Blinn College in Brenham. Texas A and M Engineering Academies are an innovative approach to providing the planet with more Aggie Engineers.

I am focused on enhancing the high school through first-year college experience and am an engaged member of the Texas A and M IEEI (Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation).

My foundations were set by an upbringing on the family ranch near Joshua, Texas and 4 memorable years at Texas A and M where I met my wife, I led Bugle Rank #7 in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band (Class of ’86 Whoop!), and dove into Telecom Engineering. Once in Telecom, my learning continued at MCI, Vartec, and Charter.

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