Dr. Lande's research expertise is focused in these main areas:
Design Thinking and Making: How might we understand what happens when people do design and making? How might we broaden participation by a human-centered perspective?
Design Education: How might we help people learn design, making, & prototyping?
Engineering Education: How might we explore larger educational systems?
Dr. Lande is the PI on the National Science Foundation funded project “Learning Trajectories of Makers & Engineers”.
He was PI for the NSF-funded research project “Should Makers Be the Engineers of the Future?” He also was a co-PI on the NSF-funded: “Might Young Makers Be the Engineers of the Future?,” “I-Corps for Learning: Leveraging Maker Pathways to Scale Steam + Making Outreach Programs,” “Instigating a Revolution of Additive Innovation”, & “Increasing Learning & Efficacy about Emerging Technologies through Transmedia Engagement by the Public in Science-in-Society Activities.”
Micah Lande, PhD is an Assistant Professor and E.R. Stensaas Chair for Engineering Education in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at South Dakota Mines. Dr. Lande directs the Holistic Engineering Lab & Observatory. He teaches human-centered engineering design, design thinking, and design innovation courses. Dr. Lande researches how technical and non-technical people learn and apply design thinking and making processes to their work. He is interested in the intersection of designerly epistemic identities and vocational pathways. Dr. Lande received his B.S. in Engineering (Product Design), M.A. in Education (Learning, Design and Technology) and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Design Education) from Stanford University.
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more information at Dr. Lande's research website.
Dr. Lande teaches design thinking, making, and innovation across the Mechanical Engineering curriculum.
Through active learning techniques, hands-on building, and the use of rapid prototyping and making resources, Dr. Lande's teaching is rooted in project-based learning and invention education. Currently Dr. Lande regularly teaches ME 110/L Introduction to Mechanical Engineering, ME 265/L Product Design and Development, and ME 465 Design Thinking and Innovation for Mechanical Engineers.