Recently, I took an honors course called Sticky Innovation. The course focused on the problems of bees and how to tackle these problems through engineering and art. Through the course I learned about the complex lives of bees and the modern-day issues that are causing the population of bees to rapidly decline. The class was not taught as a lecture, but we learned through reading books and articles, watching documentaries, having class discussion, and even by drawing out bees. This course had me focus on not just the information from class, but to expand my knowledge through projects such as creating an ideal bee and our final project which we were able to solve any “wicked problem” that bees faced. For my final project, I created an indoor observational hive that would encourage people to start beekeeping and would lead to greater education about bees and the issues they face. This course had a specific focus on bees, but the knowledge I gained on arts-based research and creating solutions to “wicked problems” will go far beyond just this course. I’ve learned how to look at problems from a different perspective and not just from a technical side. As an engineering major, this will help me to be able to find solutions that may not always be evident to others who only view it from a technical perspective.
|
