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

RCN-UBE孵化器：通过跨学科实践社区将仿生创新融入生命科学教育

• 批准号: 2217189
• 负责人: Douglas Williams
• 金额: $ 7.5万
• 依托单位: University of Louisiana at Lafayette
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2023-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2217189&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RCN; UBE; Incubator; Integrating; Bio

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.

该项目旨在通过纳入受生物学启发的设计和创新原则以及学习经验来改善本科生物教育，从而服务于国家利益。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。仿生创新一直负责新材料、药物和其他造福社会的材料的开发，已成为生物领域日益重要的组成部分。然而，理解和应用受生物学启发的解决方案在教育环境中可能没有得到充分利用。该项目将解决的问题是，本科生科学教育如何在高等教育课程中包括对仿生设计和创新的理解和应用？这个问题将通过创建和合作研究网络来解决，该网络专注于开发和共享教学实践，以在本科生生物学中注入仿生创新。该 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，通过确定发展后的关键挑战和机遇，应对将生物学启发的创新融入本科生生物学和 STEM 教师准备项目的挑战和机遇。初步教学材料和网络发展的五年计划。项目的总体目标是通过在本科生物课程和本科教师培训项目中注入仿生创新来改善本科生物教育。这将通过创建一个由生物学、工程和教育专家组成的 RCN-UBE 孵化器网络来实现，以 (1) 识别挑战、机遇和现有/所需资源，将仿生创新融入本科生物教育，(2)确定提高教育工作者和学生在生物启发教育创新中的多样性和包容性的挑战和机遇，（3）开发一组案例研究，综合最佳教学实践和样本资源，以将生物启发设计融入(4) 制定网络及其工作发展的五年计划。通过加强人力和智力资本，将仿生创新融入本科生生物学，这一网络计划将： 1) 促进教师努力强调生物学和工程设计与学生之间的联系； 2）提高现代生物学作为跨学科性质的整体代表性和实践； 3) 通过积极主动、有针对性的外展活动和教师网络扩展，与来自代表性不足群体的学生合作，为更加多元化和包容性的本科生群体带来丰富的教育体验； 4) 改善职前教师项目中本科生的生命科学培训，并改善 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。该项目由生物基础设施司生物科学理事会刺激竞争性研究既定计划 (EPSCoR) 联合资助，以及教育和人力资源局、本科教育司，作为其努力解决本科生物教育愿景和变革：行动呼吁中提出的挑战的一部分(http://visionandchange/finalreport/)。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。