Biomedical Engineering Students Gain Design Knowledge and Report Increased Confidence When Continually Challenged with Integrated Design Projects
Biomedical Engineering Students Gain Design Knowledge and Report Increased Confidence When Continually Challenged with Integrated Design Projects
复制标题
生物医学工程专业的学生获得了设计知识，并表示在面临集成设计项目的持续挑战时信心增强
DOI：
10.18260/1-2--34217
复制
发表时间：
2020
影响因子：
4.2
通讯作者：
Steven Higbee
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Steven Higbee
简介：本科生生物医学工程(BME)课程应该为学生自信地处理复杂的问题做好准备，因为毕业生进入劳动力大军的环境是医疗保健成本上升，平均预期寿命下降，以及健康结果的显著社会经济差异。在这种情况下，当代问题的解决方案将需要创新思维和突破性的医疗技术，这表明BME的未来将越来越以设计为导向。BME课程通常包括实验室和项目部分，旨在为学生准备高级顶峰；然而，学生可能在没有成功工程设计所需的知识、技能和信心的情况下进入顶峰。考虑到这些不足，我们将设计经验整合到我们的BME课程中，并在整个过程中评估学生的设计表现。方法：将4个工程设计项目作业整合到BME实验课的二、三年级课程中，在课程中确立持续的设计主线。通过一系列的项目，学生团队致力于设计(1)骨折固定板，(2)肌电控制的运动系统，(3)紧凑型分光计，和(4)给药装置。我们还开发了一个通用的教学设计模块，并在每门课程中使用它来帮助学生理解BME设计流程。这套设计项目针对的是与设计有关的多种技术技能，包括计算机辅助设计(CAD)、计算建模、迭代、原型制作、编程、硬件-软件集成和技术交流。采用混合方法评估学生在设计方面的知识、信心和成就。前/后测验被用来评估学生对设计概念及其在医疗器械设计中的应用的知识。学生在第一个设计项目之前和每个设计项目之后自我报告他们的设计信心水平，并在设计项目后举行焦点小组来评估学生未来的设计信心。学生们还对他们认为每个项目的价值和乐趣进行了评级，并反思了之前的课程作业与他们的设计项目的整合。最后，学生的设计报告由教师和学生自行报告的设计掌握情况使用一个共同的标准进行评分。结果和讨论：在完成每个综合项目后，学生们展示了更好的设计知识和将先前的课程知识整合到他们的设计中的认知。学生还报告了在四个主要领域的显著信心增长：(1)设计过程和方法，(2)使用硬件，(3)使用软件和与硬件交互，以及(4)交流结果。焦点小组的反应支持观察到的学生设计信心的量化改善。此外，教师对学生设计报告的评分表明，随着学生完成额外的项目，设计成果和沟通设计的能力也会提高。通过实施和评估二年级和三年级的实践工程设计项目作业，我们提高了学生在顶石设计之前的设计知识、信心和成就。
Introduction: The undergraduate biomedical engineering (BME) curriculum should prepare students to confidently approach complex problems, as graduates will enter the workforce in an environment of rising healthcare costs, decreasing average life expectancy, and significant socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes. With this landscape, solutions to contemporary problems will require innovative thinking and groundbreaking medical technologies, suggesting that the future of BME will be increasingly design-oriented. BME curricula generally include laboratory and project components aimed at preparing students for senior capstone; however, students may begin capstone without the knowledge, skills, and confidence required for engineering design success. With these shortcomings in mind, we integrated design experiences across our BME curriculum and evaluated student design performance throughout. Methods: Four engineering design project assignments were developed and integrated into sophomore- and junior-level BME laboratory courses, establishing a continuous design thread in the curriculum. Through the sequence of projects, student teams worked to design (1) fracture fixation plates, (2) electromyogram-controlled motor systems, (3) compact spectrophotometers, and (4) drug dosing devices. We also developed a common instructional Design Module and used it in each course to build student understanding of the BME design process. The set of design projects targeted a multitude of technical skills relevant to design, including computer-aided design (CAD), computational modeling, iteration, prototyping, programming, hardware-software integration, and technical communication. A mixed methods approach was employed to assess student knowledge, confidence, and achievement in design. A pre-/post-quiz was used to assess student knowledge of design concepts and their application toward medical device design. Students self-reported their design confidence levels prior to the first design project and after each design project, and focus groups were held after design projects to assess student design confidence going forward. Students also rated how worthwhile and enjoyable they found each project and reflected on the integration of prior coursework into their design projects. Finally, student design reports were scored by instructors and students self-reported design mastery, using a common rubric. Results and Discussion: After completing each integrated project, students demonstrated improved design knowledge and cognizance of integrating prior coursework knowledge into their designs. Students also reported significant confidence gains in four major areas: (1) design process and approach, (2) working with hardware, (3) working with software and interfacing with hardware, and (4) communicating results. Focus group responses support the observed quantitative improvements in student design confidence. Further, instructor scoring of student design reports indicate that design achievement and ability to communicate design improve as students complete additional projects. By implementing and assessing hands-on engineering design project assignments at the sophomore and junior levels, we have improved student design knowledge, confidence, and achievement prior to capstone design.