Theoretical Biomimetics: A biological design-driven concept for creative problem-solving as applied to the optimal sequencing of active learning techniques in educational theory

Abstract

The article introduces the author's concept of applying principles of biological design to drive creative problem-solving. It provides a brief background of the field of Biomimetics, which serves as a context for the reader to appreciate how it began with an established field upon which he constructed and adapted his concept to apply to human-made intangibles. A discussion of Theoretical Biomimetics specifies the differences between it and its predecessor. The final section provides the opportunity to see Theoretical Biomimetics in detail applied to education theory to address a problem related to student learning in higher education and how best to establish optimized sequences to implement evidence-based active-learning techniques to fill a void in the literature demonstrating from nature what has worked. The originality lies in the author taking a multidisciplinary approach to synergize a sequence of existing active-learning techniques and apply them to a new area in a new way. KeywordsBiomimetics, creative problem-solving, educational theory, active learning, teaching methodologies, pedagogy IntroductionWhat do Aircraft, CPR, The Camera, Eyeglasses, and Swimming all have in common?They all exist as results of the successful comprehension and application of data obtainedMultidisciplinary Journal for Education, https://doi.org/10.4995/muse.2017.7078 Social and Technological Sciences ISSN: 2341-2593 La Shun L. Carroll (2017) from the observation of principles that guide biological processes or designs to create, develop, or advance human-made tangibles. If one wants to fly, then studying birds is the best option. Likewise, if the goal is to sustain life then understanding how life is sustained should provide guidance on which essential principles to incorporate. Therefore, it requires no stretch of the imagination to understand the potential benefits of studying and applying principles that govern biological processes and designs in nature to address problems of all sorts.Problems do come in many forms, such as naturally occurring events. While it may not be the case that the conditions are the cause of the natural event occurring; the natural event occurs because of the conditions and may provide clues as to how best to deal with it in the future. Responsibility is either directly attributed (i.e., the cause of), or indirectly attributed (i.e., because of). Although it is unfathomable to either encounter or create a problem for which there is no solution, without insight into the workings of the most creative of problem-solvers known to man, it may prove too daunting a task to solve on our own. Our reality consists of a constant juggling act where we become aware of a problem only to reveal another problem in the process of solving the first. There is apparently no way to address every problem without creating "new" ones. Nevertheless, there may be hope for finding a new application that borrows from an existing field known as Biomimetics, which the author has envisioned and he believes has the...

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“…Whether constructing a skyscraper or building an airplane, humankind's most significant source of inspiration has been nature and it will always be its ultimate guide. Similar to the manner in which the principles found in natural things, or those underlying naturally occurring phenomena, are used to drive the development of human-made tangibles such as tall buildings or planes, Carroll [3] has developed an approach to creating intangibles such as solutions in problem-solving, which compares and contrasts principles or phenomena as they exist naturally with realworld problems to gain insight and is referred to as Theoretical Biomimetics (TB). As a tool for analyzing the present issue of understanding what is meant by "public," applying theoretical biomimetics as a framework for recognizing in which way the problem or issue resembles objects or phenomena that are found around us in nature has been incredibly enlightening.…”