Semi-Structured Design and Problem-Based Experiential Learning in a First-Year Biomedical Engineering Laboratory Course

Abstract

A first-year biomedical engineering laboratory course was created using a problem-based approach, introducing students to the interplay of engineering design and biology in biomedical engineering. Open-ended problems were central to each laboratory module, and were designed to enhance students’ development of high-order learning skills. Although the value of problem-based learning in engineering laboratory courses has been recognized, its implementation in the first-year engineering program presents unique challenges for students who are unfamiliar with the unstructured approach and who are in their early stages of developing discipline-specific knowledge. Immediate feedback scaffolding strategies, including interactive pre-laboratory assessments and team-based quizzes, were implemented in the second iteration of the course to support students’ achievement of learning outcomes, and to improve their perception of their learning experience in a problem-based laboratory. According to preliminary survey results, students attributed the value of problem-based laboratory activities to the acquisition of technical skills, engineering design skills, as well as the development of self-directed ability, and a growth mindset. Results from the second iteration of the course also revealed that students perceived the interactive pre-laboratory assessments and team-based quizzes to be highly valuable. Taken together, our study thus far has underlined the importance of immediate feedback as an effective scaffolding strategy for supporting semi-structured experiential learning in a first-year engineering laboratory course.

Board 10: Work in Progress: A Themed Problem-Learning Redesign of Bioinstrumentation Lectures

“…Better student satisfaction was shared by UCD (89%, 4.8I, 4.8C) versus the evaluation results from pre-pandemic instructors (2009-19 average 3.7I, 3.8C). Our results complement recent research on PBL-related improvement on self-reported learning [11], confidence [11], and perceived value [12] in biomedical engineering education.…”

Learning and Learning-to-Learn by Doing: An Experiential Learning Approach for Integrating Human Factors into Maritime Design Education

“…The pedagogy of experiential learning is well established as a pedagogy that makes the students technically functional and enables them to be better engineers as a result of their understanding of the real-life content of their engineering education (Kolb, 2015). Experiential learning has been successfully applied to several engineering disciplines, such as mechanical, electronic, and electrical, to introduce new knowledge, create curricula, and conduct new courses and programs (Bakr, 2015;Gautam et al, 2020;Greene, 1992;Konak et al, 2014;Lam et al, 2019;Zhan et al, 2013). However, there is a lack of literature on the application of experiential learning in the maritime engineering discipline.…”

Mentoring for INnovative Design Solutions (MINDS): Key Design Considerations and Collaborative Teamwork across Universities for Clinical Translation

“…[1][2][3] Biomedical engineering (BME) presents many opportunities for EL in the curriculum, as there is a rich array of real-world problems in healthcare demanding technical solutions that can be brought into the classroom. EL activities have been incorporated as early as first year introduction into biomedical engineering courses, 4 as well as courses later in the curriculum, and in capstone design. 5 For such experiences, the emphasis tends to focus on technical problem solving, as well as critical elements of the engineering design process, including problem and needs identification.…”