2018-2019-STEAM-Superheroes - Flipbook - Page 50
EPIC IDENTITY FEATURING PROF. LEIA STIRLING
Additional Project Ideas
Here are more ideas of types of projects that could be part of the Epic Identity MIT Challenge in your school.
They are here for inspiration; please feel free to do them as described, or to adapt them to work in your
context. In all cases, the objective of Epic Identity is to connect the work of MIT STEAM Superhero Prof.
Leia Stirling to a hands-on project about wearable technology and/or human performance.
Imaginary Experimental Design
In Prof. Stirling’s group, researchers quantify how “good” wearable technologies are by comparing them to
each other, and against a control. Students could design an (imaginary) experiment in which they attempt
to quantify which superhero is better. Students could choose which superheroes to include in their
experiment, and who would be the “control.” They could also describe the battery of tests they would
perform to generate the data they need to draw a conclusion.
• This activity was inspired by a talk given by Prof. Stirling’s “sidekick” Mr. Fineman.
Quantifying Athletic Performance
Quantify the performance of your students in an athletic context. Students could use wearable technology
(fitness trackers, etc.) to collect the data they need. Or they could test “performance enhancing” athletic
apparel (e.g. Do running shoes improve running speed?). This experiment might inspire them to create
performance enhancing wearable technology, which they then test.
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