Share Paper: Learning From Nature. Pre-service Teachers Use of Biomimicry as a Teaching Strategy

  1. Douglas Williams, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, United States
  2. Nathan Dolenc, University of Louisiana, United States
  3. Aimee Barber, University of Louisiana, United States
  4. Guolin Lai, University of Louisiana, United States
Wednesday, March 23 3:00 PM-4:00 PM Harborside Center

Abstract: As the need for workers to address routine manual tasks declines, there are new demands on K-12 educational systems to prepare students for non-routine analytical tasks. Engaging students in biomimicry, an approach that looks to nature for inspiration in creating innovative solutions, is a promising approach for encouraging student collaboration and problem solving. This paper examines the preparation of preservice teachers for teaching scientific inquiry and engineering design through biomimicry. Technology tools integrated throughout the activities are key factors to the successful implementation of biomimicry.