Organ-izing the Curriculum: Enhancing Knowledge, Attitudes and Interests in Engineering with Biomedical Course Modules

Proposed abstract for the NSF-Grantees Poster Session Organ-izing the Curriculum: enhancing knowledge, attitudes and interests in engineering with biomedical course modules The relatively new discipline of biomedical engineering emerged from informal collaborations between engineers, physicians and life scientists, and is the fastest growing engineering discipline at most universities. Chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineers play an important and expanding role in this burgeoning field because the fundamental core principles of each discipline are critical to biomedical mainstays such as the design of artificial organs. This project introduces hands-on, biomedically-related experiments and course materials into the engineering curriculum, with the aim of increasing core disciplinary knowledge and increasing interest in engineering. This paper describes the biomedical modules that have been developed and integrated into a variety of courses throughout XXXX’s engineering curriculum. Results demonstrate an increase in student’s understanding of engineering concepts in comparison to control groups. At the freshman level, the treatment group that participated in biomedical education showed significantly higher gains in their perception of classroom climate, interest and confidence in biomedical engineering, confidence in engineering, confidence in writing,and perception of engineers’ contribution to society

Work in Progress: Vertical Integration of Engineering Design in an Undergraduate BME Curriculum

Relevant and robust biomedical engineering programs integrate challenging, hands-on engineering design projects that require student teams to develop and deliver functional prototypes in response to biomedical design problems. The inclusion of such projects throughout Biomedical Engineering (BME) curricula not only brings active learning to the classroom but helps students improve as team members, decision makers, and problem solvers. This work highlights how sophomore and junior level engineering design projects can increase students’ fundamental engineering design knowledge and self-reported confidence in approaching design projects. By steadily increasing the complexity of engineering design experiences throughout the BME undergraduate curriculum, our continued work studies whether intentional, vertical alignment of engineering experiences ultimately better prepares BME undergraduates for their senior design capstone projects and their professional pursuits

Explore postgraduate biomedical engineering course integration between medical signal processing and drug development: example for drug development in brain disease

Medical signal processing is a compulsory course in our university’s undergraduate biomedical engineering programme. Recently, application of medical signal processing in supporting new drug development has emerged as a promising strategy in neurosciences. Here, we discuss the curriculum reformation in biomedical signal processing course in the context of drug development and application in central nervous system, with a particular emphasis in knowledge integration

Using Cases to Teach Research Data Management

Presentation on using the research cases in the New England Collaborative Data Management Curriculum to teach data management best practices. Demonstration of how a biomedical research engineering case could be presented to students to teach research data management concepts in a disciplinary context

Exploring Ethical Development from Standard Instruction in the Contexts of Biomedical Engineering and Earth Science

Ethics continues to be required in the accreditation of engineers. However, ethics is seldom the core focus of departmental instruction. Yet, standard instruction may have myriad impacts on students' ethical development. This study explores students’ ethical formation when ethics is a peripheral or non-intentional aspect of instruction in departmental courses in Biomedical Engineering and Earth Science. The research question that we seek to address is, “In what different ways and to what extent does participation in departmental engineering and science courses cultivate STEM students’ ethical formation?” To address our research question, we disseminated a survey to students before (pre) and after (post) their participation in one of 12 courses offered in Earth Science or Biomedical Engineering during the Fall 2017 or Spring 2018. The survey included four instruments: (1) the Civic-Minded Graduate scale; (2) the Interpersonal Reactivity Index; (3) two relational constructs developed by the authors; and (4) the Defining Issues Test-2. Results suggest that current Earth Science curriculum, overall, positively contributes to students' ethical growth. However, the Biomedical Engineering courses showed no evidence of change. As the Earth Science courses do not explicitly focus on ethics, one potential explanation for this trend is the community-engaged nature of the Earth Science curriculum. These findings will be beneficial locally to help direct improvements in departmental STEM instruction. In addition, these findings pave the way for future comparative analyses exploring how variations in ethical instruction contribute to students' ethical and professional formation. © 2019 American Society for Engineering Educatio

Biomedical engineering: current status and issues for developments in India

Biomedical engineering is an important field of engineering science that plays pivotal role in the modern health care systems. Rapid developments in medical technology has boosted the medicare system to a large extent. These developments greatly improved the quality, availability and efficiency of the health care delivery system. Technological advancement in the developed countries contributed their advancement in developing countries to certain extend. In countries like Indian these technological advancements can be beneficial only in the shorter period. It is rather impossible to visualize these benefits in the long term unless otherwise plan are devised to sustain these developments. Therefore, it is high time to start more biomedical engineering programs in the country. In this regard various technical and medical bodies must unit and cooperate in the proper molding of programs. Different biomedical societies and related organizations can play a greater role in the curriculum development. These organizations must contribute their efforts in designing course, projects, set short and long term goals. Also create an environment to establish active interactions with various institutions of interest. Initially plans should be drawn to modify the existing curricula by introducing new and need based programs. Also provide expertise to the institutes starting new biomedical engineering under graduate, post graduate and research programs. This paper outlines some of these issues related to the development and modernization of biomedical engineering programs in India and other developing countries

Physiological Processes

Physiological Processes is designed to introduce fundamental concepts of physiology to biomedical engineering learners. Areas covered include: neural, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory and renal system function; bioelectrical signals, capillary-level transport, organ-level exchange. Whenever possible, analysis will be quantitative in order to fulfill the course goals and to build the foundation for the subsequent biomedical engineering curriculum. This course is for Biomedical Engineering majors only

Combining computer-based training, virtual, or augmented reality with peer teaching in medical and bio-technological education

[EN] The Interdisciplinary Biomedical Education and Research Center (BioMed) at our university offers a modern approach to biomedical education that addresses the challenge of understanding complex medical fundamentals and devices and their application in a clinical setting. This is especially relevant for our students of biomedical engineering, biotechnology, or bioengineering. The concept combines real medical devices with advanced simulation technologies and realistic training through computer-based training (CBT), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR). Peer teaching, small group activities, and tangible CBT are also incorporated into the hands-on approach, along with a focus on training with current and future technologies to prepare the students for the medical research/-engineering industry. Students responded overwhelmingly positively to the first peer-taught course that utilized VR and AR e-learning experiences, resulting also in improved exam results. This article provides an overview of the concepts used and their implementation in the biomedical engineering curriculum at our university.Hanshans, C.; Faust, MMR. (2023). Combining computer-based training, virtual, or augmented reality with peer teaching in medical and bio-technological education. En 9th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'23). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 279-286. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd23.2023.1637327928

Designing a Week-Long Biomedical Engineering Summer Camp to Increase Young Students’ Interest and Self-Efficacy in STEM

In order to combat the negative feelings many young students have towards STEM, I designed a week-long summer camp that teaches students about biomedical engineering as well as collaboration, communication, and confidence with STEM subjects. This work includes a literature review outlining what STEM is and current issues in STEM education, including disinterest in STEM and attrition in STEM degree programs. The literature review outlines current methods and ideas being utilized to combat these issues, namely, inclusive pedagogical strategies, and how some of these concepts can be applied to the summer camp. The curriculum document included outlines each activity, its purpose, supplies needed, and the procedure of the activity. Each day of the camp covers a different area of biomedical engineering with corresponding activities, including biomaterial, biomechanical, and tissue engineering, and medical imaging. The final day of the camp includes a team design project that incorporates the skills and concepts the campers learned the previous days. The camp also includes a field trip to the Biomechanics Research Building at UNO and a question-and-answer session with a biomedical engineering college student. While camp activities are centered around biomedical engineering, lessons will also focus on fostering a growth mindset through the use of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) activities. SEL activities use collaboration, reflection, and learning from failure to establish a positive mindset that can help students persevere though challenges. The goal of this camp is to give young students a positive STEM experience that focuses on project-based learning and demonstrate how STEM subjects are applied creatively to solve real-world problems and improve lives

First-year interest groups and 1st semester BME design class exposure to improve engineering student outcomes

First year Biomedical Engineering (BME) students at The University of Texas at Austin have the option of joining a First-year Interest Group (FIG). FIGs can increase student interest and retention in the major by allowing groups of 15-20 students to attend a weekly seminar and their first engineering classes together. [1] BME 303L Introduction to BME Engineering Design is a required course for first year BME students; students who join a FIG facilitated by the BME advising office enroll in BME 303L together during their first semester (fall) on campus. Approximately 80% of fall semester BME 303L enrollment is FIG students, while the other 20% are not part of a BME FIG. The same course taught by the same instructor is also offered during the following spring semester, and spring enrollment is exclusively made up of first year students who did not participate in a fall FIG. While FIGs have been shown to increase retention[1] and we have observed a positive impact on attitudes toward engineering, we have not yet been able to correlate these successes to engineering student outcomes as defined by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). In order to better understand if the FIG success is correlated to engineering student outcomes, the authors surveyed all first year BME students at the end of the fall 2017 semester to measure their own perception of teamwork, communication skills, lifelong learning, and ability to use engineering tools. This paper presents initial results of the survey comparing engineering student outcome perceptions from students who just completed a FIG and BME 303L in the fall semester, and students who did not participate in FIG and are enrolled in BME 303L in the spring semester. These data will be used to optimize advising and curriculum for first year students and improve engineering outcomes for all students. Future surveys are planned for sophomore and junior years as well.Cockrell School of Engineerin