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Invention & Design:
Students to Inventors: Suggestions for Use

Suggestions for Using the Modules

Open-Ended Laboratory Exercises

In the teaching of physics or any of the other sciences these activities could introduce the concepts of discovery and invention and the application of scientific principles. The importance of problem-based instruction is its ability to engage students in meaningful learning and to demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills. As students became involved in these modules we saw emerging "needs to know" in areas such as Ohm's law and serial and parallel circuits. At this point, the physics teacher would give a brief, impromptu lecture on the principle the students needed to know. Students learned best when their own problem-solving efforts had taken them to the point in the discovery process where they were ready to assimilate new information (cf. Bruner, 1961). Students also used content from previous classes. For example, one young woman excitedly designed principles of aerodynamics into her group's solar-powered car, commenting that she had not seen the importance of that topic when it was covered in her high school physics class.

Special Enrichment Lessons for Talented Students

A challenge faced by teachers with students of varying levels of achievement and differences in the ability to grasp advanced concepts is what to do when one group masters the content and another is struggling. Modules such as these provide circumscribed activities that small groups of students can undertake independently within the larger context of a science class. By capitalizing on the interest of gifted and talented students in independent investigations and the open-ended nature of the tasks, the teacher can provide instruction which places no limits on possibilities for highly able students. In a society where interactions with other people are becoming more and more necessary for success in an individual's personal and professional lives, students must learn to appreciate others' talents and their potential contributions to any endeavor. The students taking part in these modules quickly realized the potential contributions of all members as they were faced with tasks which cut across the intellectual talent domains of language, spatial ability, mechanical aptitude, imagination and creativity, public speaking, promotion/sales, scientific knowledge and understanding, and artistic abilities. In several groups, division of labor was realized based on the strengths of each team member: In one group during the telephone module, the most talented writer constructed the patent, another student tried to fix the wiring problem that caused several short circuits, and a third student completed the group notebook and worked on modifying the group's receiver prototype. Teachers who wish to creat cooperative and supportive atmospheres in their classrooms can use activities such as these early in the school year to establish a positive atmosphere and collaborative spirit. At the same time, they will be fostering the development of valuable skills in the process of invention and motivating students to understand and apply scientific principles.

Pre-Engineering Classes

High school course offerings are often dominated by traditional subject areas, prohibiting students from exploring disciplines outside of the core content areas. A set of modules such as these could provide a sound basis for an academically defensible course which would introduce students to the field of engineering. For example, students who find AP physics courses lacking in practical application, students with substantial mechanical aptitude who find vocational classes too limiting, and students interested in developing and applying their creativity would benefit from the opportunity to explroe problem-based learning with a sound basis in scientific principles.