Notes on Research-based approach and integration

Students arrive with baseline concept input from short videos (flipped classroom), freeing class time for hands-on investigation, building, and iteration. They begin by observing a real model and identifying geometric features (research), then create and test a prototype under constraints (design), and finally compare results and reflect on both strategies and resource use (connect). The two-trial structure plus peer “snowball” exchange mirrors real engineering cycles: observe → plan → test → learn → improve.