Student learning outcomes from a pilot medical innovations course with nursing, engineering, and biology undergraduate students

Abstract

Background: Preparing today's undergraduate students from science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and related health professions to solve wide-sweeping healthcare challenges is critical. Moreover, it is imperative that educators help students develop the capabilities needed to meet those challenges, including problem solving, collaboration, and an ability to work with rapidly evolving technologies. We piloted a multidisciplinary education (ME) course aimed at filling this gap, and subsequently assessed whether or not students identified achieving the course objectives. In the course, undergraduate students from engineering, pre-nursing (students not yet admitted to the nursing program), and pre-professional health (e.g., pre-med and pre-physician's assistant) were grouped based on their diversity of background, major, and StrengthsFinder® proficiencies in a MakerSpace to create tangible solutions to health-related problems facing the community. We then used qualitative content analysis to assess the research question: what is the impact of undergraduate multidisciplinary education offered in a MakerSpace on student attitudes towards and perceptions of skills required in their own as well as others occupations? Results: We discovered these students were able to identify and learn capabilities that will be critical in their future work. For example, students appreciated the challenging problems they encountered and the ability to meet demands using cutting-edge technologies including 3D printers. Moreover, they learned the value of working in a multidisciplinary group. We expected some of these findings, such as an increased ability to work in teams. However, some themes were unexpected, including students explicitly appreciating the method of teaching that focused on experiential student learning through faculty mentoring. Conclusions: These findings can be used to guide additional research. Moreover, offering a variety of these courses is a necessary step to prepare students for the current and future workforce. Finally, these classes should include a focus on intentional team creation with the goal of allowing students to solve challenging real-world problems through ethical reasoning and collaboration.

Self-efficacy and belonging: the impact of a university makerspace

“…Beyond asserting the benefits of prototyping itself, however, the literature lacks a comprehensive exploration of the impact of makerspace projects on student learning outcomes and student experiences, especially specific to engineering. In one study on an interdisciplinary undergraduate STEM course where students used a makerspace, students reported gains in collaborative skills and creativity, as well as an appreciation of experiential learning (Ludwig et al 2017). In engineering, research suggests that makerspace usage can increase confidence, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking in students (Longo et al 2017).…”

Breaking up I/E: Consciously Uncoupling Innovation and Entrepreneurship to Improve Undergraduate Learning

“…JMU X-Labs comprises two primary spaces. The first is an academic makerspace, which serves as an educational laboratory equipped with teleconferencing capabilities, fabrication equipment, such as laser cutters and 3D printers, and digital technologies dedicated to instruction [25], including the computing hardware and software to support rendering of 3D modeling and augmented and virtual reality applications. The second is a classroom with fixed seating, which is also equipped with teleconferencing capabilities.…”

Smart Approaches in Facilitating Engineering Students to Learn Health Technology

“…While the subject was taught at master-degree level, it can be implemented in undergraduate level. Previous pilots have suggested the high feasibility of enabling undergraduate students with different academic background to address biomedical problems together [6,14]. Engineering students require medical knowledge to enable them to use technology to solve health problems.…”

“…electronic and mechanical engineering) subjects, their student intake numbers are usually much smaller than traditional engineering courses. Some universities are trying to offer subjects which provide multi-disciplinary education allowing future engineers to sit together with future clinicians to learn the ways to solve health-related topics [6]. Engineers need to have good understanding of the human body and different sorts of diseases, before they can apply good engineering solutions to solve the medical problems.…”