2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Applying Entrepreneurially Minded Learning to the Design and Fabrication of Soft Robotic Fish with Native American Engineering Students.

Presented at Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation Division (ENT) Technical Session 1: Robotics and Bio-Inspired Projects

Engineering students have limited opportunities for experiential learning, especially at Tribal Colleges and Universities, where engineering programs tend to be small, and resources are extremely limited. Typically, the first and senior years of a student's engineering education journey are infused with hands-on projects and capstone courses. However, the sophomore and junior years generally need more opportunities for active learning, gaining professional skills, and developing a sense of professional practice. Also, scholars have increasingly realized that arts subjects help students understand connections between different disciplines from a comprehensive perspective.
This study highlights findings from integrating entrepreneurially minded experiential STEAM learning into a second-year engineering course - Design & Manufacturing Processes I. A total of six students enrolled in the course. The project required students to develop engineering activities to highlight water pollution via the design, fabrication, and programming of soft robotic fish. During one semester, students formed teams to work on project tasks, including sketching out a fish, designing a mold (fish) in Solidworks, 3D-Printing the mold, fabricating the fish (pouring silicone into the mold), testing the fabricated fish, programing the fish for blinking light and vibrations. A metacognitive photovoice reflection was used to assess the project's impacts. The preliminary thematic analysis highlights three major themes of ABET learning outcomes as follows: (1) the ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics (2) the ability to function effectively on a team (3) the ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies. The paper includes details related to the intervention and lessons learned so other engineering instructors, especially in Native American serving schools, can easily re-create in the classroom.

Authors

Dr. Monsuru O. Ramoni http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3726-5371 Navajo Technical University [biography]

Monsuru Ramoni is an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at Navajo Technical University, Crownpoint, NM.
He has M.S. degrees in Manufacturing Engineering and Management and Industrial Engineering from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, respectively.
He received his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University, Lubbock.
His research focuses on additive manufacturing, material characterizations, and engineering education. Dr. Ramoni leads various STEM outreach activities in Native American communities. Dr. Ramoni has received funding from NASA, DOE, and USDA and published in high-impact journals.
Jonathon Chinana [biography]

Jonathon Chinana is a Navajo from Cuba, New Mexico. He is in B.S. Electrical Engineering at Navajo Technical University. He has interned at The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Harvard University. He presented posters on some of his undergraduate research at conferences.
Mr. Ty Shurley Navajo Technical University [biography]

My name is Ty K. Shurley. I am 27 years old and Native American. My tribe affiliation is Navajo, and I’m from Hunters Point, Arizona. I love drafting and designing, my drawings have always helped me to define who I am as a person and what I am capable of doing. I have my own unique way of being creative and at the same time dealing with problem solving. I also have highly developed technical skills. These are some of the reasons why I am so passionate about becoming an engineer. I have my Pre-Engineering, Associate of Science and Computer Aided Drafting & Design certificate. I received my degree and certificate back in April 2019 at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute. I am currently enrolled at Navajo Technical University. I attended the graduation ceremony for my associates degree for Mathematics back in May 2022. Now I am enrolled in the bachelor’s program for Mechanical Engineering here at NTU.
Dr. Kathryn Hollar http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6202-9675 Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering & Applied Sciences [biography]

Kathryn Hollar grew up in rural North Carolina, and attended North Carolina State University, majoring in Chemical Engineering and English. The first person in her family to obtain a bachelor’s degree, she continued on to a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University, specializing in reactor conditions for recombinant protein production. She received her degree in 2001, and began a faculty position in engineering at Rowan University in New Jersey, where she taught freshman and sophomore engineering design, as well as fluid mechanics and bioprocess engineering.

She began her position as Director of Community Programs and Diversity Outreach at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2003. In partnership with faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students, she develops and implements programs for K-12 students, teachers, undergraduates, and families that are designed to increase scientific and engineering literacy, and to inspire people with diverse backgrounds to pursue science and engineering careers. At the undergraduate level, she directs a Research Experiences for Undergraduates program that brings students to Harvard for 10 weeks to work in research laboratories. This program hosts between 45-70 students per year, and recruits from diverse institutions, including community colleges, tribal colleges, historically black colleges and universities, and Hispanic-serving institutions. The program focuses on providing research opportunities for students who are underrepresented in science and engineering careers in the United States, including students with disabilities, military veterans, Native American (indigenous) students, LatinX students, Black/African American students, women, and students who are the first in their families to attend college.

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Broadening Participation in Engineering and Engineering Technology
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