TikTok Used to Teach Students about Biomechanics during Virtual Summer Camps

Hundreds of students attended the summer camp hosted by the Grainger College of Engineering, held virtually. This year, the students used TikTok to learn about biomechanics. The virtual biomechanics camp was led by bioengineering professor Jennifer Amos and postdoctoral associate Gabriel Burks.

During the COVID-19 shutdown, many turned to sharing online videos, primarily through the popular app TikTok. Burks and Amos were inspired by this pop culture staple. Students were challenged to perform a 10- to 15-second dance video while specific wearing markers on their body. These markers created a log of the movements, so the students could analyze who was the best dancer in their household based on the smoothness of movements.

According to the original article from the Illinois Newsroom, “The activities seemed particularly successful at engaging students with their household members and drawing them all into the learning process, which added much value to our group reflection time during the follow-up portion of the camp,” said Burks, who led the planning team for all the virtual camps and the biomechanics camp.

Burks is the senior polymer scientist for EnterpriseWorks startup, FrostDefense Envirotech. The company develops environmentally friendly solutions to prevent early frost damage in vineyards. Learn more about the company from Burks’s presentation at the 2020 AgTech Innovation summit.