Teacher Resources
The BioFab Challenges
The BioFab Challenges are a series of work-based learning simulations that will model what it is like to work in the biofabrication industry. Throughout the challenges, students will be asked to complete work that models real-world skills, such as data analysis, communication, and observation. These challenges can be paired with the BIOBLENDFOLIO platform to enhance the feedback process and to allow students to share their work with employers or educational institutions.
Career Exploration
These activities focus on helping students gather information about the skills, knowledge, workstyles, and day-to-day tasks along with salary and required education related to a career in biofabrication. Many of these activities allow students to demonstrate technical or career readiness skills.
Learning Objectives
To introduce students to the variety of skills needed in biofabrication
To support student exploration and inquiry into careers in biofabrication - including careers that support biofabrication processes such as advanced manufacturing
To create opportunities for students to demonstrate skill attainment related to career readiness and exploration
Activity Structure
The following activities are divided into two levels:
Level 1 Activities
These activities can be embedded into any course and require little background understanding of biofabrication. Students can demonstrate career readiness skills through these activities.
Level 2 Activities
These activities are targeted and require some understanding of biofabrication. Students can demonstrate both technical and career readiness skills through these activities.
Activities can be done in any order.
Level 1: What Does the Future of Medicine Look Like?
Directions
Share the article Creating a Life-Saving Industry – Regenerative Manufacturing with your students.
Facilitate a discussion with your students using the following prompts:
What role has medicine played in your life?
Have you known or heard of anyone whose health has been impacted by the medical field?
How could regenerative medicine change the outcome of these circumstances?
In a mode of their choice, prompt students to reflect on Dean Kamen’s perspective:
Imagine if Kamen's four stages of treating disease became reality. How would it impact someone dealing an illness that currently has no cure?
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Level 1: What Technologies are Used in Biofabrication?
Directions
Share the video Human Organ Manufacturing Has Its Leader & Funding with your students.
Prompt students to make a list of all of the technologies shown in the video.
In the format of your choosing, prompt students to brainstorm around the following questions:
What are the possible careers pathways that are associated with the technologies you've identified?
What safety practices are related to the technologies you've identified?
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Level 1: What Jobs are Available in Biofabrication?
Directions
Show this video of Chief Scientist Dr. Jay Hoying discussing biofabrication to your students.
While watching the video, prompt your students to list the fields Dr. Hoying mentions are a part of the biofabrication industry.
Using the Department of Labor’s career resource O*NET Online, direct students to choose a related field and research further information about it.
Within the field they've researched, each student should choose one specific career and evaluate whether it would be a good fit for them based on the following criteria:
Detailed work activities
Work styles
Work values
With the class or in small groups, students can share information about the career they've researched and why or why not it might be a good career choice for them.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Level 2: How is Biofabrication Impacting People Today?
Directions
Prompt students to review the Case Stories from Biofab Explorer:
Meet Luke
Meet Marine Sgt. Smith
Next, in small groups, students can conduct primary research into the applications of tissue regeneration currently being studied.
Each group should choose one example of a biofabricated tissue and create a presentation that addresses the following questions:
What part of the body will this application of tissue engineering impact?
How are injuries or diseases to this part of the body currently treated?
How would biofabricated tissues improve the course of treatment for these injuries or diseases?
Groups can share their presentations with the class.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
Employ effective time and project management strategies to complete work efficiently and proficiently
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Level 2: What Ethical Issues Rise with Biofabrication?
Directions
Share the Significance of Ethics TED Talk video with your students.
Divide students into 4 groups. Assign or have students choose one of the following ethical issues to discuss:
Safety: Bioprinting tissues and organs is a new field. Any new treatments are risky. What do you think will need to be done to ensure patient safety?
Equal Access to Treatment: Personalized medicine is expensive. What do you think should be done to ensure all people, not just the wealthy, have access to bioprinted limbs and organs?
Legality: Do you think it is ethical to use someone's tissues to bioprint organs and sell them on the open market? How should this be handled?
Human Enhancement: Do you think it would be OK to enhance lungs or muscles to become a better professional athlete? Discuss your opinions.
After discussing, prompt students to develop guiding ethical principles to address their ethical issues.
Each group can present their topic and recommended guidelines to the class.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
Employ effective time and project management strategies to complete work efficiently and proficiently
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Engaging in argument from evidence
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Level 2: Do I Have the Skills?
Directions
Share the video of Dr. Marcie Black discussing the skills needed for careers in biofabrication with your students.
Direct students to make note of which skills and qualities Dr. Black looks for in potential employees.
Working individually, students can consider which of the skills they needs to continue to build and improve for employability in biofabrication.
Next, students can visit the Career Clusters section of Biofab Explorer. Students can explore each cluster and determine which associated careers might best suit the skills they are building.
Students can share their findings through a mode of their choice.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Planning and carrying out investigations
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Level 2: What Does it Take to Become a Biological Technician?
Directions
Prompt students to explore the summary for Biological Technicians on O*Net Online.
Facilitate a discussion with your class about the job outlook for this career and the increasing need for technicians in biofabrication. Consider the questions:
How do technician roles factor into the field of biofabrication?
How will technicians help the biofabrication industry scale up?
Prompt students to individually complete the Career Exploration Action Plan for the Biological Technician career pathway.
In pairs, students can share their Action Plans and take turns discussing their findings and conclusions with their partner.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Level 2: Industry Leaders in Biofabrication?
Directions
Prompt students to explore one of the following ARMI member company profiles:
Advanced Solutions Life Sciences
Cellink
DEKA
Advanced Silicon Group
Next, working individually or in small groups, students can create synopses of the company they've researched including:
What problems they are trying to solve?
What types of roles do they hire for?
How are they funded? What is their business plan?
As a class, students can take turns sharing their results and comparing the companies.
Competencies
NH CTE General Competencies:
Use correct terminology, vocabulary, and appropriate language to communicate effectively in the workplace
Select and use safety appropriate tools, supplies, and equipment for a specific task or set of tasks
Employ effective time and project management strategies to complete work efficiently and proficiently
NGSS Practices of Science and Engineering:
Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Planning and carrying out investigations
Analyzing and interpreting data
Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Extended Learning Opportunities
These activities can be used in the following ways:
For credit or enrichment - students could use the Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) to earn credit outside of school hours - after school and during the summer
As an enrichment activity for earning extra credit or scaffolding to keep highly engaged students active
As a tool for students to demonstrate competency in career readiness skills and career exploration
Essential Question
What is the potential impact of bioprinting?
What are some of the technologies and career paths in bioprinting?
Discipline/Area of study
Students will explore the field of biofabrication through the lens of bioprinting. This ELO develops an understanding of the innovative career field of biofabrication by examining the skills, career options, and big questions embedded in bioprinting.
Credit-granting Recommendation
This is a 1 credit course representing formative and summative assessments. The course has five competencies to be fulfilled.
Community Mentor
Internship/Work-Based Learning Mentor and/or School Counselor
Learning Goals
Develop an understanding of what Biofabrication is and the role Bioprinting plays in this field
Develop an understanding of the “big” questions that bioprinting seeks to address and/or solves
Develop an understanding of the tools/equipment/technology used in the field of bioprinting
Develop an understanding of what a career in bioprinting could look like
Develop an understanding how the individual’s skills, talents, and areas of interests would align with a career in biofabrication
Related Core Competencies
Self-Knowledge: Develop an understanding of values, desires, thought patterns, motivations, goals and ambitions, emotional responses, strengths and weaknesses, and effect on others and will be able to communicate this information to others.
Communication: Student will exhibit an understanding of communication skills required for success in the workplace.
Career Skills: Student will demonstrate an understanding of the education and skills required in a particular career field.
Collaboration: Student will research, and practice effective collaboration techniques.
Workplace Regulations: Students will explain workplace regulations and industry specific expectations.
Research: Students will analyze and demonstrate an understanding of a learning experience through reflection.
Formative Assessments
Students will complete the following formative steps using the resources provided or other resources of their own finding:
Students demonstrate an understanding of Biofabrication and Bioprinting by creating working definitions of both terms.
Resources:
Creating a Life-Saving Industry Regenerative Manufacturing
BioFab Explorer - Introduction to Biofabrication video
Students will demonstrate an understanding of “Big Questions in Bioprinting” by completing one of the guided activities found in the BioFab Explorer - Big Questions resource.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of what a “Career in Biofabrication” would look like by understanding the variety of careers available in bioprinting. They will do this by completing one of the guided activities found in the BioFab Explorer - Careers resource.
Students will better understand the “Technology in Bioprinting” by completing one of the guided activities found in the BioFab Explorer - Technology resource.
Students will create an “Action Plan” outlining the education and/or steps they could take to pursue a career in biofabrication after high school. The Action Plan should include information such as what college they would apply to, what classes they should take while still in high school, internships they might consider, and/or college classes or other certificate programs they could leverage to improve their potential for being hired.
Final Summative Assessment
The student will address the essential question, communicate what they have learned, and their self analysis examining the connections between experiences, goals of the ELOs, and targeted competencies. Student will prepare and present a final summative reflection presentation to a group made up of at least one peer, one educator, and one industry professional. It is recommended that presentations are made to entire classes, this way information is shared and students can learn from one another’s experiences.