An Educational Model for Promoting Human-Centered Thinking in High School Students

Faculty Sponsor

Reva Johnson

College

College of Engineering (COE)

Department/Program

MEBE

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Symposium Date

Summer 7-23-2025

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine whether the modules in the Beacon Engineering Academy summer camp for high school students promoted human-centered thinking in engineering design. Thirteen high school students were assigned to five teams and received training on basic engineering skills using KEEN’s URSkilled training modules. By leveraging the Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) framework from occupational therapy practice, and with support from Valparaiso Occupational Therapy faculty, each team applied these skills to address a client-based scenario and subsequently engineered either a body-powered or myoelectric prosthesis for created personas with defined clinical requirements. Iterative feedback was provided by both the research assistants portraying the personas and real-life prosthesis users. Students formally presented their devices and explained the deliberate human-centered elements of their design. Additionally, students subjected prototypes to strength, durability, and fine-motor tests, and were evaluated by practicing prosthetists and real-life prosthesis users. Learner experiences were examined through two pre-/post-camp surveys, which assessed students' definitions and knowledge of bioengineering, as well as the inclusion of human-centered design elements. When asked what they think bioengineering includes, 9% in the pre-survey mentioned helping people, as opposed to the 18% in the post-survey. Average student confidence in building things for real people also increased from 4.82 to 5.27 on a 6-point scale between before and after camp. The preliminary analysis of the results suggested that the model used in the camp somewhat enhanced students’ human-centered thinking, but more work is needed to confirm these claims.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Ian Bos, a biomechanical engineering student, focused on bioelectricity and electromyographical (EMG) signaling. He led the electromechanical side of this project, assisting the campers with their body-powered or EMG devices and devising simple but effective ways for campers to integrate EMG into their designs.

Sara Brito, a biomedical engineer, designed the original prosthetic limb prototypes using SolidWorks. This year, we built off of and modified her framework to make it suitable for the current camp supplies.

Bri Castle, a biomedical engineering student, primarily did 3D printing work and lesson designing for the camp. She 3D printed each group's body-powered bypass socket and flexible arm sleeve, as well as giving campers a presentation on printing so they could create parts for their arms themselves.

Arianna Magallanes, a mechanical engineering student, applied her skills in system design, prototyping, and fabrication to support the development of functional prosthetic devices. She improved the design of the existing hand model used by campers, enhancing attachment mechanisms for better efficiency and usability. She sewed custom harnesses and modified their design to improve fit, functionality, and overall integration with the prosthetic system.

Evan Galvin, a biomedical engineering student, focused on prosthetics and broader medical-technology innovation. His coursework and laboratory projects explore how advanced materials and control systems can translate into more responsive, patient-centered devices. He contributed greatly to the lesson structure and assisted the campers in building their prosthetic devices, providing feedback on design mechanisms.

Sophia Schoch, a mechanical engineering student, focused on assistive technology and participatory design efforts. Throughout the project, she contributed to camp preparations such as developing lesson plans for the week, creating personas for the prosthetic users, and supporting student teams in their hands-on engineering work.

Our research is conducted under Dr. Reva Johnson, whose work spans mechanical engineering and bioengineering, focusing on human-machine interfaces, human movement, learning and adaptation, prosthesis control, and rehabilitation engineering. Professor Johnson holds a B.S. from Valparaiso University and both an M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

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