Redefining Biological Engineering with an Integrated Research and Cooperative based Undergraduate Curriculum

这项规划补助金正在改革犹他州州立大学的生物工程课程，通过改进核心课程的整合，通过数字学习材料，校园应用学习环境，整体合作研究/设计经验，以及推广，指导和跟踪努力来增强多样性和保留。（1）生物工程是一门不断发展的学科，需要重新评估，以便连贯地将农业工程和生物医学工程的子组成部分联系起来，并涵盖新兴的生物技术。(2)（3）互动式数位教材是有效的学习工具，让学生在校园时间内解决问题、参与团队设计项目、使用先进仪器、在专家指导下设计和执行实验;（4）合作经验建立学生的信心，促进团队合作，并提供宝贵的现实世界的培训，同时促进合作，网络和研究的增长。学术价值PI认为生物工程是一门不断发展的学科，需要进行评估和实施，以连贯地弥合医学，农业和生物技术的不同领域。该项目将探讨如何使用互动式数字材料来改进学习过程。合作社的经验将“轮”本科生与真实的世界的培训。 更广泛的影响一体化和应用学习的模式都有潜力在许多其他程序的应用。该提案的具体目标是改进学习过程和促进多样性。该方案已经看到女性入学人数和种族多样性的增加。拟议的改革还应使新生的资历更加多样化并得到普遍加强。

This planning grant is reforming the Biological Engineering curriculum at Utah State University, by improved integration of core courses, enhancement in information delivery through digital learning materials, an applied learning environment on campus, an integral co-operative research/design experience, and outreach, mentoring, and tracking efforts to enhance diversity and retention. The focal points and proposed activities are: (1) Biological engineering is an evolvingdiscipline that needs to be reevaluated to coherently bridge the subcomponents stemming fromagricultural and biomedical engineering as well as encompass emerging bio-technologies. (2) Topics presented in the freshman year are forgotten by the senior year unless revisited, adapted by the student in the context of a more advanced concept, and then reapplied; (3) Interactive digital materials are effective learning tools permitting campus time to be devoted to solving problems, participating in team design projects, using advanced instrumentation, and designing and performing experiments under expert guidance; (4) A cooperative experience builds student confidence, fosters team effort and provides invaluable real-world training while fostering collaborations, networking, and growth of research. Intellectual merit The PIs contend that biological engineering is an evolving discipline and that it needs to be evaluated and implemented to coherently bridge the divergent areas of medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. The project would look at means to implement interactive, digital materials to improve the learning process. The co-op experience would "round out" the undergraduate student with real world training. Broader impacts The models for integration and for applied learning both have the potential for application in many other programs. The proposal is specifically aimed at improving the learning process and fostering diversity. The program has already seen an increase in female enrollment and diversity of ethnicity. Additional diversification and a general strengthening of the incoming credentials of the students should also result from the proposed changes.