Edheads is a comprehensive resource for science and technology teachers at the middle school and high school levels who want computer-based enrichment activities for students. The various activities are well-designed and correlated to state standards for the teaching of Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. The activities have been developed in partnership and with the support of industry and the collaborative efforts of college and pre-college faculty.

An example of an activity is “Design a Cell Phone.” This activity has been developed for grades 5-8 to meet identified standards for the teaching of Science and Technology in Ohio, as well as national standards. The cell phone activity is multidisciplinary, combining aspects of physics, engineering, mathematics, and social consciousness in product design. The teacher’s guide includes questions at each grade level for discussion, assessment and review.

From the student’s perspective, the activity is an animated video with steps for the entire design and production process. It includes the ability to design and refine the product based on user feedback. Improving an individual student’s design may require group activity.

In addition to engineering design activities, several activities relate to medical fields. Examples of these activities include Brain Surgery and Hip Replacement. As in the engineering example, the entire process is taught in a multidisciplinary framework. There are also complete teacher guides available.

The Brain Surgery activity was developed with the support of Medtronics with both college and pre-college faculty participating in the development. There are also activities in physical science, including Compound Machines and Weather. The same framework exists for these activities as for those involving engineering and the medical fields.