Integrated Information, Science and Technology students participate in the STEMosphere® Symposium

Two seniors from CPS' IIST (Integrated Information, Science and Technology) program participated in the STEMosphere®, the centerpiece of Share Fair, an annual interactive symposium that celebrates innovative teaching and learning tools in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), held at the Smith Center on April 11th.

In their booth, Jenny Nguyen and Naeem Khan demonstrated two hands-on experiments to the visitors to the Fair who included pupils from an elementary school where another IIST student Maria Castagnino is a tutor. In one experiment, they used a simple EKG sensor connected to a computer to read the heart rhythm of visitors through three small disposable electrodes attached to their arms and then printed the EKG trace on a wireless printer so the participants could take their heart rhythm home. In another experiment, visitors were asked to use different parts of their hands, palms, fingers and their grip to press on a Dynamometer sensor. A trace of the calculated force would then be shown on the computer screen and they could compare the strength of different muscles in their hands. According to the IIST Director Professor Sara Hooshangi who supervised Jenny and Naeem, these experiments were easy and fun demonstrations of the importance of bio-instrumentation and the use of sensors in medical technology (see the following story).  

"We can actually teach teachers how to make education more interesting," said Nguyen confidently. Her classmate Khan agreed. "Giving students hands-on experience with information technology helps them see the range that's out there," he said.