Intro to Biomimicry · Anamarija Frankic: Intro to Biomimicry (UC111) 3 2. Indicate whether...

Anamarija Frankic: Intro to Biomimicry (UC111)

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One Form Supplementary Document: New Course Information

(Please note: THIS IS NOT AN ONLINE OFFERED COURSE)

1a. A description of the reasons behind the proposal (how will the new course fit into the curriculum? What are the goals of the course?)

Intro to Biomimicry course will aim to bring the new scientific discipline of biomimicry to our students. This course will provide students with no particular background knowledge about biomimicry an introduction to the field, and opportunities to apply it in their own areas of expertise. It will thus serve as a needed introductory 100-level course for students from a variety of departmental majors and minors.

In the last 10 years, biomimicry has been recognized worldwide in different educational settings – from universities, colleges, and institutes providing formal and informal education, as well as through innovations in research and academia. However, there is as yet no existing undergraduate course in biomimicry that is offered as a general education requirement for the natural science distribution area. If this course receives approval by the Committee, it will be the first course globally to officially recognize biomimicry in natural science education.

The goal of this course is to introduce students to a new, innovative, sustainable, green and more resilient field of natural research and science. Intro to Biomimicry rests firmly in the natural science realm and has science as its central focus: to learn about and from nature. Students will gain an understanding about connections among science, nature, technology and social concerns. They will be introduced to biomimicry life’s principles, and to ways that natural science can become the art of sustainable innovations, through green chemistry, biology, architecture, engineering and technology, and other fields. Recently, Biomimicry has been part of the STEAM education and curricula, proving how inspired and invigorated students in K-12 become after taking only one course in biomimicry. The same results were presented in the survey and evaluations in the two biomimicry courses I offered as summer special courses and an honors program course – all students claimed it changed their life and what they want to do.

b. An indication of how the course serves students (its relation to graduate, pre-professional or vocational objectives, and how it relates to other courses.)

This course brings all disciplines together through asset of processes and classes (in the field and in the classroom) where students engage individually and in groups to learn from nature and be inspired by nature’s wisdom that has been evolving for 3.8 billion years. Students will have unique opportunity to learn and experience how biomimicry inspires and makes changes to various human activities and disciplines: architects, engineers, automotive and airplane industry, sustainable energy designers, chemists, chefs, medical doctors, entrepreneurs, plumbers, builders and policy makers. Biomimicry has inspired various fields and societies to be more responsible and resilient, and to find and apply solutions to ecological problems in a more sustainable way. The biomimicry course will embody hands on STEM education providing practical, visual and inquiry experience as students spend more time outside in nature as well as in human built environments, than just inside the classroom. Providing Introduction to Biomimicry as a general education requirement, with its problem solving pedagogical approach,


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will stimulate students in scientific inquiry and analysis. Students will both engage in the process of investigation as well as learn about opportunities for scientific applications in various professional and vocational fields, thus broadening their carrier choices and desires.

c. A detailed syllabus, including principle topics covered in the course, an evaluation statement indicating ways in which you will evaluate student’s progress, and a brief bibliography. Please also include on the syllabus the following – a statement about accommodations for students with disabilities, and a statement regarding academic honesty and misconduct. (Use sample statements that are available upon request from the CLM/CSM Academic Affairs Committee.)

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED SYLL UC111.

Rationale for inclusion and meeting the ‘Natural Science Distribution’ requirements 1. Provide a rationale for inclusion in the proposed distribution area. How does the content of the course fit the definition and criteria of the proposed distribution area? (See the “Distribution Area Descriptions and Criteria for Course Content” in the Tan Document.)

Summary (pl see details below): Intro to Biomimicry rests firmly in the natural science realm and has science as its central focus:

to learn about and from nature; students will gain an understanding about connections among science, nature, technology and social concerns; they will be introduced to biomimicry life principles, and how natural sciences can become the art of sustainable innovations.

The course has multiple hands-on, inquiry-based components mainly through field site visits, nature museums and home experiments; the hands- on experience is based on teaching and learning by doing to provide experience in scientific inquiry: to observe, analyze and apply/solve certain issues (e.g. How to stay warm? Cooling in desert? Food storage? Energy from sun? Who produces the strongest and healthiest glue?). Assignments will incorporate students’ direct knowledge of nature from at least six field trips. They will explore in the field how nature crafts its own solutions in a sustainable, resilient way that has supported species and ecosystems for millions of years.

The course firmly anchors science in the societal fabric as its main objective focuses on biomimicry’s role in solving human problems. It reflects on the development and application of science in society and how misuses, even of biomimicry, can be detrimental Students will be introduced to research ethics, morals, and the uncertainties and long term sustainability of our sciences and technologies.

Regarding its specific fit with the Natural Science distribution area (Tan document), this course will offer students an opportunity: iii) to gain an understanding of increasingly important interconnections among science, technology and social concerns. However, it will also provide them: ii) a chance to gain an understanding of the correctable nature of scientific knowledge by exploring specific examples in the natural world, including how sciences have been learning from nature and mimicking natural structures, processes and designs through developing more sophisticated technologies and tools and applying them in the human world.


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2. Indicate whether students will have the opportunity to write a paper suitable for the Writing Proficiency Portfolio (an analytical paper of at least five pages dealing with two or more texts.) If this is the case, please also include that information in your course description and syllabus.

The assigned papers #3 and #4 that are required for this course will qualify to meet the writing proficiency requirement (WPR). (Note: Please see attached few sample papers, and Syll).

3. Indicate which Gen Ed capabilities will be covered in your course (we prefer you select/identify the two strongest - though you may include more if you feel you must). See tan document for the capabilities. Provide details on how the capabilities will be incorporated into the course!

Two of the GenEd criteria are met through this course:

Critical thinking is met throughout the course; students are introduced in the class session to discuss what verbal reasoning or critical thinking means in science, and how is it applied in biomimicry learning and teaching process. (pl see syll. pp. 2)

All assignments including their final case studies will provide students with practical skills to demonstrate verbal reasoning in verbal and written forms. For example, critical reasoning is developed through analysis, discussion and evaluation of environmental issues and potential solution examples in nature. One of the primary objectives of this course is for students to develop understanding through critical thinking methods about sustainability in nature vs built/constructed environment (human infrastructures). This course, as a natural science course, will offer students the opportunity to learn how the laws of the physical world are derived and tested through observation, theory and experiments by using examples from nature. Students will not just learn about nature but also from nature. Life has been evolving for 3.8 billion years, testing the best strategies, designs and forms to perform the most effective and efficient functions in order to survive and adapt to changes. Students will gain an understanding of the correctable nature of scientific knowledge and the increasingly important interconnectedness among science, technology and social concerns. This course introduces biomimicry in a way that engages students to reflect on the relevance and value of science to society, culture and tradition, as well as to the uses and abuses of scientific understandings and investigations that caused many environmental and social issues.

Effective communication is met through several assignments including group work, oral presentations and written submissions. Based on the course objectives students will acquire essential communication skills –verbal, written, and science translation- through individual and team exercises.. They will also learn how to engage in scientific discourse with audiences from non-scientific disciplines through real-world experiences by making presentations in and outside their classroom. At the end of the course student will have ability to communicate effectively by presenting their biomimetic project ideas in group and class discussions (please see Syll pp. 3). Students will be able to benefit through the employment of biomimicry institute’s resources and the scientific analysis of the environment via educational and outreach tools available on the internet for biomimicry fellows (instructor is a fellow).


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4. Discuss the pedagogical methods, assignments, or class activities that will be used to ensure coverage of the area criteria and foster the attainment of the Gen-Ed capabilities specified above. Also, please indicate how you will assess student progress and performance in meeting the goals of the course.

Note: Please see syllabus for grading and assessment of student progress and performance.

Combining field studies as the living laboratory work, with lectures and discussions, the course engages the student in a hands-on/minds-on manner. The case studies and students’ presentations ensure that the general education capabilities are met. Biomimicry links the built/constructed environment to the natural world by striving to use Nature as a model, a standard of measure, and a mentor (Fig. 1, based on Biomimicry Guild, 2008). Below are examples of pedagogical methods developed for this course to help students engage in class, field and be critical as well as creative in their assignments.

Nature as a Model

Biomimicry uses nature as a model, studies nature and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. Through close study of how nature functions, it appears that nearly all of mankind’s inventions are present in nature; however, they exist in more elegant forms that are less harmful to the planet (Benyus, 1997).

For example, in order to heat and cool a building, humans have created the central heating and air-conditioning system. Termites solve this same problem by creating mounds which maintain a consistent temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit despite a dynamic non-equilibrium environment outside of the termite mound (Doan, 2007). Using nature as an inspiration, the Eastgate Centre building located in Harare, Zimbabwe, introduced a design similar to African termite mounds that uses passive


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cooling instead of the conventional air-conditioning methods (See Fig. 2).The energy and cost savings from this design have been outstanding: the building uses less than ten percent of the energy of a typical building its size; the owners saved 3.5 million dollars just from eliminating the need for a central air-conditioning system, not including annual energy savings; and because the building cost less to construct, the tenant rent is twenty percent lower than those in the surrounding buildings.

Figure 2. The Eastgate Centre building design inspired by African termite mounds (Doan, 2007). Nature as a Measure Life on Earth has evolved throughout its 3.8 billion years of existence. In comparison, humans have only been present for 200,000 years, a relative blink of an eye. Excluding humans, Earth’s inhabitants have survived billions of years of life without consuming their ecological resources. Fossils are examples of species that have failed due to Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Species alive today hold the secret to survival. These species have learned how to survive, evolve, and adapt to their surroundings throughout time. Having the built environment function more like the natural world would be one way of addressing human caused problems such as the depletion of natural resources, global warming, pollution, overpopulation, starvation, etc (Benyus, 2002).

In order to achieve a sustainable ecosystem, nature lives by several vital principles. Biomimicry “Life’s Principles”, as illustrated in Figure 3, are interrelated and depend on each other for survival. Nature operates as a closed system; waste from one organism is used as resource for another, ultimately forming an efficient, self-sustained ecosystem. ollowing this principle, in Kalundborg, Denmark, engineers have designed an industrial ecosystem where a series of businesses consisting of a coal fired power station, an oil refinery, a pharmaceuticals plant, a plasterboard manufacturer, a water, electric, and heat distributer, and a farm all use by-products from one process as a low cost input for another process. Figure 4 illustrates how treated wastewater from the oil refinery is used as cooling water by the power station. Meanwhile the refinery and the pharmaceuticals plant both purchase steam produced as waste from the coal fired power station to run their engines.


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In addition, excess heat from the power station is used for warming 3,500 homes in the neighboring area, as well as 57 local fish ponds (Reed, 2004; “Kalundborg,” 2007).

Figure 3. Life’s Principles illustration (BI, 2009).

Figure 4. Schematic diagram of the industrial ecopark located in Kalundborg, Denmark (Allenby & Graedel, 1994).


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Nature as a Mentor Biomimicry is a new way viewing nature. It repositions the mindset of designers from “what can we extract from the natural world,” to “what can we learn from it?” By examining nature’s materials and processes, humans can formulate new ideas and methods with the potential to affect the way crops are harvested, materials are made, energy is harnessed, medications are produced, information is stored, business is conducted, building are constructed, and much more. Where does the form come from? Nature fits perfectly functions to forms – not forms to functions; as forms evolve to fit functions and perfections in natural world. One of the learning objectives for this course is that students will practice applying biomimicry to arrive at sustainable design solutions. In order to accomplish this objective, students must understand that utilizing biomimicry as an instrument is more complex than simply viewing one aspect of nature as a design model, measure, and mentor. Since nature functions as a whole structure with many different interconnected elements, a systems thinking approach will generate a more practical design. Systems thinking, as opposed to siloed thinking, is a way to view a complicated problem in terms of its components and their relationship to the problem as a whole(Nikou, 2009). The biomimetic design process is a continuous progression towards an ultimate goal; once one challenge is accomplished, a new one arises, therefore beginning another round of the design. This repetition of design stages continues until new challenges cease to occur and the final goal of the project is met. The application of biomimicry in the design process can be simplified into eight useful steps which serve as a thought/thinking rubric:

1. Identify a real world challenge

2. Interpret the design brief

3. Discover nature’s models

4. Abstract design principles

5. Brainstorm potential applications

6. Emulate nature’s strategies

7. Evaluate against Life’s Principles

8. Repeat steps 1-7

First, innovators/students must identify the basic functions of a real world challenge by asking “What issue do you want to address or your design to do?‟ For example, I want my design to produce energy at a low cost. The next step is to interpret the design brief from nature’s prospective. This step requires the question of “How does nature do this function?‟ Specifically, in this step, one must determine how nature performs the function within its climate, nutrient, social, and temporal


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conditions. Building on the previous example, nature produces energy through the plant process of photosynthesis which captures solar energy and converts it into chemical energy (Photosynthesis: Cooke’s koki’o, 2009). After interpreting the design brief, the next step is to discover nature’s models by determining which species perform this function the best. The primary question for this step is, “Whose survival in nature depends on this function?‟ If the function is common throughout many species, such as photosynthesis, the designer must search for the species that executes this function in the most extreme living conditions, yet is unaffected by the variables (“Biomimicry: A tool for innovation,” 2009). The next step is to abstract design principles from the species, then find any other repeating patterns or processes within nature that are also successful. In this stage, the intention is to select the principles from nature that are most relevant to the original design challenge. Then, brainstorm potential applications of nature’s models in an engineering mindset. The challenge is to search for multiple solutions by researching literature, studying nature, and consulting biologists and natural scientists for a more distinct perspective. Then, step six requires o n e to emulate nature’s strategies and develop solutions based on nature’s models; the principal concept is to biomimic nature’s function, form and ecosystem (“Biomimicry: A tool for innovation,” 2009). Continuing on the example from before and applying it to step six, conventional silicon-based solar panels capture, separate, and transport light energy and have a high solar energy conversion ratio inspired from how nature produces energy through photosynthesis (“Photosynthesis: Cooke’s koki’o”, 2009). Although the creation of solar panels is an innovative idea inspired by nature, it can still be improved through the final steps of the rubric. After nature’s strategies are emulated, the next step is to evaluate the design against Life’s Principles (Fig.3). The key questions students must answer are: “Does your design adapt and evolve?‟; “Does your design create conditions conducive to life?‟; and “How can you improve your design?‟ This step is meant to identify further ways to advance long term critical thinking, creativity and develop new questions to explore, adapting and evolving the design similar to how nature would function. Upon answering these questions for the solar panel example, one would determine that, solar panels are manufactured from one material that requires large amounts of energy, toxic solvents, and bulky infrastructure (“Photosynthesis: Cooke’s koki’o”, 2009). Although photovoltaic solar panels are a revolutionary method of generating renewable energy, their design can still be improved. This illustrates why biomimetic design is portrayed as a continuous loop and why the last stage of the rubric is to repeat steps 1-7. The repetition of these steps allows improvement and expansion of the design. By repeating steps 1-7 for the solar panel example, one would discover that, dye-sensitive solar cells use photosensitive dyes and flexible materials that are less harmful to the environment and can be incorporated into architectural elements such as window panes, building paints, and textiles. Also, they have a higher overall power collection potential due to low-cost operability under a wider range of light and temperature conditions (“Photosynthesis: Cooke’s koki’o”, 2009). A biomimetic design concept experiences multiple iterations of the thought process to adapt, evolve, and develop into a sustainable solution for a human problem.

5. A statement describing the distribution elements has been added to the course syllabus.


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6. Course assignments include:

Case Study #1: What is resiliency? What is sustainability? Provide examples for resiliency and

sustainability in both the ‘non-human’ natural and human ‘worlds.’(5 pp)

The first assignment is designed to let you express yourself clearly, tell an honest story and share what

you think is ‘resiliency and sustainability’. How do you see it in the human world and how do you see it

in the natural word? This is your own story – you are basing it on your current knowledge and

experiences. There is no recipe of how to write it. This is a learning process for both of us – so I can

learn from you about your visions for resiliency and sustainability. Through your other assignments we

are going to see if with biomimicry your story as well as my own story changes, or not. How do we

perceive resiliency and sustainability as individuals coming to a class of biomimicry? How do we learn

about practical resiliency and sustainability in everyday life?

Case Study #2: Now that you understand the basic concepts of sustainability and resiliency

please go to: Ask Nature.org. Choose an example from the natural world and apply it to the human

world as your first biomimicry case study. Why did you choose this example? Explain what and why

would this example contribute to if it were to be applied in the ‘human world’? What makes you think

that it might be a sustainable solution? (5pp)

Case Study #3: Continue with your Ask Nature biomimicry example. Now use at least two of the

six biomimicry principles to design a case/project that will bring the natural and human ‘worlds’

together. Tell a story by following simple questions: what, where, why, how, and when? How can we

learn from nature? Is there a recipe? (5pp) (Fig.2)

Case Study #4 - Project team paper: You will team up with another student(s). Based on your

individual three papers; build a case project together that addresses biomimicry examples from

nature. You will have an opportunity to describe with your team: vision; design (with goals and

objectives); or/and technological/engineering solution that inspired you by nature. Use biomimicry life

principles to guide your ‘solution story’; use art and any media as a way to describe it and help to

visualize it. This will be a preparation for your final project design and presentation. (6pp)

Case Study #5 - Final Project/Team Presentation: Create a 15 minute presentation (e.g. video, ppt or any other media) based on your project team paper that illustrates your understanding of biomimicry as a solution in addressing a particular human need to live more sustainably with nature. Example of Class Plans and Activities: This lesson plan example extends throughout two class periods and covers the introduction, overview, and application of biomimicry as an engineering, technology as well as policy and management design approach. The first class begins with the instructor giving a brief introduction to the learning objectives for the class. This introduction is followed by a presentation describing biomimicry in detail that is based on the background information provided in the preceding sections.


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Biomimicry Homework Assignment 1. Choose a material or system (e.g. car, clothing, ductwork, steel, traffic controls, etc.) and

identify its basic functions (e.g. protects, move air, provide structure, organize movement, etc.).

2. Provide an example from nature that performs these same functions. 3. How could you draw on the example from nature to better perform these functions? 4. Use the 8-Step rubric introduced in class in order to formulate a sustainable design

inspired by nature for your basic function. Record your methods and findings in a one page, double spaced write-up.

5. Use http://www.asknature.org/ as a reference. 6. Be prepared to present your design to the rest of the class.

The second class period begins with a brief review of the previous class. Then, students are engaged in an in-class activity that allows them to share and receive knowledge about biomimetic design in a short period of time. Class Activity Student-Group presentations (two minutes) For this activity, each student is responsible for describing their design (from the homework assignment) in a two minute presentation to a small group of students. The students must explain how their design is inspired by nature, how it qualifies as a sustainable solution to a human problem, and how it would impact the envi ronmental field, business management, as well as society as a whole. The class is divided into groups of 4-5 students and each student presents their design to their group in a two-minute time period. Each group member takes notes and evaluates their peers (see Fig. 5). Once every student has presented to their group, each group will determine a “champion” from their group who has the most fascinating and innovative design. This activity will take approximately 25 minutes. For the second half of this activity, each individual group “champion” presents their biomimetic design concept to the entire class. Depending on the size of the class, 5-7 students could be presenting in this second round. Finally, the entire class will vote on which student presented the best overall biomimetic design concept. The winner, and the other members of their group, should be awarded with whatever prize the instructor decides on. This round should take approximately 15 minutes depending on the size of the class. At the end of the interactive activity, or in the next class depending on the class size, the entire class participates in a 10-minute discussion led by the instructor on the lessons learned in relation to biomimicry. After the discussion period, final remarks will be presented (see the following section) and students will reflect o n i t individually..?

http://www.asknature.org/


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In-Class Activity: 2 Minute Student-Group Presentations Student Name: Date:

Content Presenter 1: Presenter 2: Presenter 3:

Design inspired by

nature

Sustainable solution to a

human problem

Impact to

sciences and society

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peer evaluation: Please evaluate each presenter on the criteria below from 1 to 3, with 1 being a poor delivery and 3 being an excellent delivery. excellent delivery.

Criteria Presenter 1: Presenter 2: Presenter 3:

Content

Verbal

communication

Clarity of the Concepts

Time management

Figure 5. Student’s handout for in-class activity.

Learning Styles Addressed in the Course As this class activity will reveal, many of the human inventions throughout time have already appeared in nature, yet in a more fascinating form and at less cost to the planet. Students will realize that there is a lot to learn from nature. By the end of just two class periods, students should understand the fundamental concepts of biomimetic design and see the potential of this idea to inform more sustainable engineering design solutions. This module is meant to inspire students to consider biomimetic designs in their future professional and personal endeavors. This module is constructed to appeal to a wide variety of student learning styles. Students will learn the topic of biomimicry through a range of teaching methods including a lecture-style presentation, homework assignment, interactive learning activity, and a holistic discussion. The interactive learning activity encourages students to master key concepts by teaching and explaining their biomimetic design to other students in a cooperative classroom environment. The final


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discussion provides a holistic analysis of the topics covered throughout the two lessons and allows the students to ask any questions. The two biomimicry lessons follow the proposed timetables depicted in Tables 1 and 2 below. These timetables can be adjusted based on the needs of the students and instructor.

Table 1: Learning Styles Addressed in the Class Example

Activity

Learning Styles Addressed Time (min)

Introduction

Global: present an outline where this topic fits into the course and relate biomimetic design to previous topics covered in class

4 - 5

Instructor lecture and presentation

on Biomimicry

Reflective: convey different resources to present the topic Visual: show pictures and diagrams Verbal: provide concrete examples of biomimetic designs Active: involve effective communication in a short period of time Intuitive: biomimicry is a new design tool that requires innovation

30 - 40

Conclusion Verbal: summarize the lesson and provide time for Q & A 5 - 10

Homework Assignment

Reflective: promotes students to think through a problem Intuitive: allows students to use to real world problems Active: encourages students to apply concepts learned in class

Varies

Table 2: Learning Styles Addressed in Class II

Activity

Learning Styles Addressed

Time (min)

Introduction Verbal: quickly review the concepts covered in the previous class 4 - 5

Two-minute student-group presentations

Reflective: students convey different resources to present the topic Active: students discuss and explain their design to other students Verbal: students converse with their groups about biomimicry

20 - 25

Student-class presentations

Reflective, active, and verbal: same as above

10 - 15

Class

discussion

Global: summarize the implications of different perspectives Verbal: discuss opinions and lessons learned Inductive: build concepts based on students‟ research and designs

10 - 15

Reflection time

Reflective: allow students to revise their notes after the discussion Active: allow students to converse about any final thoughts

6 to 8


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Assessment Tools Two different areas can be evaluated after this class period. The first area is the effectiveness of the various teaching methods. Depending on the creativity, excitement, and interest portrayed by the students during their presentations, the instructor can judge how well the students responded to the various teaching methods. By collecting and reviewing the one-page written assignments from the students, the instructor can document and assess each student’s ability to understand the main concepts of the lecture and the assignment. This assessment will help the instructor determine which concepts need to be reinforced during the following class periods. The second area for assessment is students’ ability to verbally communicate and present their design topics to their classmates. For this area, the instructor will use the peer evaluations at the bottom of the handout provided for note-taking. Using a scale from 1-3, with 1 being poor and 3 being excellent, the students will anonymously grade their peers on performance during the two- minute student-group presentations. These evaluations allow each student to receive feedback from their peers in four different fields: content, verbal communication, clarity of the concepts, and time management. The instructor will collect these evaluations and use the results to count participation and, if desired, to provide constructive feedback for each individual student on how to improve their presentation skills. Significance of this Lesson Plan This module introduces biomimicry to help students add this concept of using nature as a design model to their problem-solving approach. Introducing this topic in the undergraduate environmental science curriculum or other minors and majors that students selected at UMass Boston can teach students a useful method to generate sustainable design solutions. The written homework assignment, two-minute student-group presentations, and class discussion all promote active learning. In particular, the concept of peers teaching other peers is a proven effective active learning method for both the students doing the teaching and the students being taught (McKeachie & Svinicki, 2006). Concluding the lesson with a class discussion allows the instructor to cover unmentioned material, administer a holistic conversation by asking questions to the entire class, and bring the lesson to a close with any final remarks. The ultimate goal of this module is for students to value, apply, and share biomimetic concepts during their life-long approach to learning.

Intro to Biomimicry · Anamarija Frankic: Intro to Biomimicry (UC111) 3 2. Indicate whether...

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