Exploring High School Engineering Students' Integration of Biological Concepts in the Engineering Design Process

Biologically inspired design (BID) in engineering is a systematic approach that employs analogies from biological creatures to develop solutions for engineering problems. BID is becoming increasingly prevalent in pre-college education as it facilitates students' understanding of how natural systems and features can inspire the design of systems to solve societal problems. This qualitative descriptive study investigated high school students' (n = 53) use of biological systems, processes, and concepts covered in the BID-integrated engineering-focused curriculum in the engineering design process (EDP) to develop a solution to the engineering problem. The EDP is an iterative method employed by engineers for effective problem-solving which students employed to create a better food delivery system for senior citizens. Several data sources were used to examine students' application of BID-integrated EDP, including classroom observation field notes, final design presentations, and semi-structured focus groups. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed four major themes: criteria/constraints, integration of biologically inspired design in the engineering design process, decision-making, and internalizing of structure, function, and mechanism, demonstrating that students engaged in the engineering design process holistically and iteratively and incorporated features of biological systems in their design solutions.