Historically, students in engineering design courses learn how to resolve conflict almost exclusively through experience and with varying degrees of success, which can have ramifications on student wellness and performance [1]. Instructors can intervene by scaffolding conflict resolution, but since they are often made aware only when team conflict becomes unmanageable, proactive strategies are needed. Several strategies were implemented in a new third-year course to enhance students’ self-awareness and empathy for others when working in teams. These included personality and conflict style exercises, the generation of an approachability statement, and the reflective monitoring of team dynamics using ITP metrics’ assessments during the term [2]. Surveys gauged student satisfaction with teamwork, the frequency of team conflict, and preparedness for resolving conflicts. Overall, students felt better prepared to handle future conflict as a result of the course. However, additional accountability measures may enhance the perceived value of the interventions used.

Overview This abstract focuses on a distinctive group project in an introductory anatomy and physiology course for upper‐year undergraduate and graduate engineering students. Background Engineering students in the traditional fields of mechanical, chemical and electrical engineering solve problems and analyze systems by drawing upon fundamental knowledge in chemistry or physics, where processes tend to be well‐defined and well‐characterized. In the field of biology, processes may be characterized, but have a greater degree of variance and a nomenclature unfamiliar to many engineers. Learning the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology in the context of systems to understand, characterize, and design, can be helpful to engineers who lack a background in biology. Upper year engineers are also experienced working in groups as many courses require collaboration in design and would benefit from group work as it relates to anatomy and physiology. Objective and hypothesis The objective of this course, and its core project, was to enable engineers to engage with anatomy and physiology content in a way that promoted their learning of the material, while utilizing their unique analytical approach and leveraging their advanced design and project management skills. We hypothesized that students would gain a deep understanding of anatomy and physiology through the design of a creature – building on their engineering skills and integrating their anatomy knowledge across the 11 human body systems. Project description The centerpiece of the project involved defining a creature that could survive in an environment of the students’ choosing. Each project group chose a body system, and collaborated with adjacent body systems to create one cohesive, integrated organism over the term. The project was executed in groups of 4‐5 students, including at least one graduate student. Deliverables consisted of a presentation, visual representation, written report, and individual reflection. All design choices needed to be scientifically consistent with anatomical and physiological systems. The visual representation could be a physical object, digital rendering, or drawing – anything that assisted in the understanding of the system and creature. Students were asked to consider the following key questions in order to promote the discovery of needs and requirements by the engineering students (part of the engineering design process). (1) What does the environment that the creature lives in look like? (2) What does a complex living organism with body systems look like in this environment? (3) What adaptations are needed by the creature for the environment that they live in? (4) How do the various body systems interact with each other? Project impact Since the project was one of fantasy, rooted in logical and scientifically sound justification, this allowed the engineers to think beyond the technical constraints that are usually imposed on them. Many groups were inspired by a variety of organisms and engineering systems. In their individual reflect...