Updating Introduction to Biomedical Engineering to be more interactive

Abbott, R., Le Blanc, S., Melville, M., and S. Moore

The goal for this project was to make the “Introduction to BME” class more interactive and engaging for students. Students view this class as a way to determine if BME is the right career choice. To facilitate an informed perspective, interactive hands-on demos were incorporated. Pre and post demo comprehension were assessed via canvas modules. Prior to a cell culture game the assessment average was 62% (SD 15.2). After the game, the assessment improved significantly (p<0.05, paired t-test, n=49 students) to 88 % (SD 8.5). For an interactive plasmid google form, the pre-demo assessment average was 73% (SD 14.4) and improved significantly (p<0.05, paired t-test, n=47) to 84% (SD 13.2) on the post-demo assessment. Active learning improved learning comprehension of key concepts. Similar active learning techniques would be beneficial for other classes at CMU where instructors want to engage students to think about complex concepts independently. 

Rosalyn Abbott, Biomedical Engineering
Sophie Le Blanc, Eberly Center
Michael Melville, Eberly Center
Steven Moore, HCII