The EdTech Roundup
Connect:
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Editorials & Press
  • Ed Tech Sites
  • Lesson Plans
    • Elementary
    • Secondary
  • Former Weekly Podcast
  • About Me
  • Contact

Vernier Names Winners of Its 2014 Engineering Contest

4/29/2014

0 Comments

 
STEM educators awarded cash and technology prizes valued at $5,500 each 
for their creative use of sensors to teach engineering concepts
Picture
BEAVERTON, Oregon, April 29, 2014 – Vernier Software & Technology named Deborah Munro of the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon; Gary Garber of Boston University Academy in Boston, Massachusetts; and, Julianne King of the Regina Caeli Academy in Spring, Texas as the winners of the 2014 Vernier Engineering Contest. Each of these college, high school and middle school instructors, respectively, creatively used Vernier sensors to introduce engineering concepts or practices in the classroom.

Selected by a panel of Vernier educational experts, each winner received $1,000 in cash, $3,000 in Vernier technology, and $1,500 toward expenses to attend the 2014 National Science Teachers’ Association (NSTA) STEM conference or the 2014 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) conference. Applications were judged on innovation, engineering objectives, and the ease by which others can replicate the project. Middle-school and high-school applicants were additionally asked to specifically explain how the project addresses the engineering practices called for in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

“The use of sensors in engineering provides students with engaging, hands-on ways to work through the engineering design process and become familiar with important engineering and science concepts,” said David Vernier, co-founder of Vernier and a former physics teacher. “This year’s Engineering Contest winners demonstrate truly innovative ways that technology can be used as part of the teaching and learning process. Not only are their projects helping to cultivate students’ ongoing interest in engineering education, because of their ease of implementation they are helping other educators teach engineering in their classrooms.”

The Winning Projects

In “Developing a Biomechanics Course,” Munro created a course that features a six-station lab designed to give students hands-on experience with how different laboratory equipment can be used for biomedical research. In addition, this course provides exposure to testing with human subjects, as well as an introduction to anatomy, physiology, and the terminology used in the medical industry. The students use Vernier sensors to gather data to answer posed questions and create their own open-ended research questions. The data are analyzed using Logger Pro software, which is also used to perform video analysis on the subjects.

In “Rocket Testing,” Garber has his engineering students work together to design and build a system that allows them to calculate the height to which a rocket should fly. Using a Vernier Dual-Range Force Sensor, students measure the impulse of the engine. In addition, students apply STEM concepts to build a triangulation station, create algorithms for measuring the height, investigate electronic tracking and video methods, and design computer programs to estimate the height.

In “Aquabot,” King integrated science and engineering to have her students build a working prototype of a floating robot equipped with a LEGO NXT, two Vernier NXT Sensor Adaptors, and two Vernier Current Probes. Students programmed their robot to move and search for submerged electric fields in order to warn people of potential hidden danger in the water. The idea for this project originated from the students participation in the First Lego League, where this year’s theme was “Nature’s Fury: Prepare, Stay Safe, Rebuild.” The students took on the challenge of creating an innovative solution to a phenomenon called “Electric Shock Drowning,” which was something they learned about after speaking with survivors of massive flooding in Ningbo, China.

Jennifer Love of Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts was additionally recognized for her notable entry, “Designing Alternative Energy Vehicles.”

To learn more about the 2014 Engineering Contest winners, and to watch videos of the projects in action, visit http://www.vernier.com/grants/engineering/2014-winners/. To learn more about the 2015 Engineering Contest, visit http://www.vernier.com/grants/labview/.

About Vernier Software & Technology

Vernier Software & Technology has been a leading innovator of scientific data-collection technology for 33 years. Focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Vernier is dedicated to developing creative ways to teach and learn using hands-on science. Vernier creates easy-to-use and affordable science interfaces, sensors, and graphing/analysis software. With world-wide distribution to over 130 countries, Vernier products are used by educators and students from elementary school to college. Vernier’s technology-based solutions enhance STEM education, increase learning, build students' critical thinking skills, and support the science and engineering practices detailed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Vernier’s business culture is grounded in Earth-friendly policies and practices, and the company provides a family-friendly workplace. For more information, visit www.vernier.com.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Editorials

    Here you can find the Round Up's collection of editorial pieces and press releases where we will discuss the latest trends and ideas in educational technology


    Picture

    Featured

    Picture
    Check out our featured review | ClassroomAPP: A Complete, K-12 Digital Platform for Online and In-Person Classrooms

    Teach.com

    Connect


    Awards

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

           
​Except where noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Picture

Copyright 2020 | Mike Karlin, Ph.D.