Development of Experiential Learning Models in Biomedical Engineering Programs for International Implementation

Undergraduate biomedical engineering (BME) programs have increased considerably and the drives for continuous improvement of the programs persist. While covering a comprehensive base of multiple disciplines required for BME studies on campus has been a big challenge, the Industry Professional Advisory Committee members usually recommend incorporating experiential learning modules of co-op or internship in the curriculum. Embedding cooperative modules within the undergraduate BME educational program is aimed to assist students in gaining the highly valuable real-life experience. The cooperative work modules facilitate the students in exploring different realistic aspects of the complex work processes in the biomedical engineering field. The values of the cooperative learning modules are recognized by the academicians. It must be emphasized that different countries follow different models for BME education. At the international level, the developers of the BME curriculum find the inclusion of cooperative work experience or internship with a heavy course load in the program a formidable challenge. Having a single model is not likely to work in varying environments coupled with practical training and employment opportunities in different countries. The main objective of the present work is to develop few cooperative experiential learning models for BME undergraduate students that can be applied internationally and to propose multiple partner organizations to host the co-op. In this paper, designs of a few co-op/internship models embedded in the undergraduate BME curriculum and an innovative array of co-op hosting organizations are described. Other models of one semester at a teaching hospital, a medical device company, and at an academic research lab are mentioned. The results obtained clearly support the proposed co-op/internship scheme. In conclusion, integrating the cooperative work experience will be of significant value in biomedical engineering education by giving opportunities for real-life work experience to the students. For sustained success at the international level, it is essential that a suitable model must be selected to blend with the mission of the overall training program at the academic institution. Keywords— BME Cooperative Education, Experiential Learning Models, Hospital Internship

[1]  Joseph F. Dyro,et al.  Clinical Engineering Handbook , 2012 .

[2]  T.R. Harris.  Recent advances and directions in biomedical engineering education , 2003, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine.

[3]  Glen A. Livesay,et al.  Research Report: Learning Styles of Biomedical Engineering Students , 2004, Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

[4]  J.R. Goldberg.  Design projects , 2006, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine.

[5]  Frank T. Fisher,et al.  A tool to measure adaptive expertise in biomedical engineering students , 2001 .

[6]  J. Faulkner.  A head start. , 1998, Nursing times.

[7]  Marilee J. Bresciani,et al.  Outcomes-based academic and co-curricular program review : a compilation of institutional good practices , 2006 .

[8]  Kristina M Ropella,et al.  University-industry partnerships in biomedical engineering. , 2003, IEEE engineering in medicine and biology magazine : the quarterly magazine of the Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society.

[9]  C. Parsons,et al.  Cooperative Education Work Assignments: The Role of Organizational and Individual Factors in Enhancing ABET Competencies and Co‐op Workplace Well‐Being , 2005 .

[10]  R.C. Fries.  An industry perspective on senior biomedical engineering design courses , 2003, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine.

[11]  Rachel B. Korsower,et al.  Beyond the Classroom , 2018, Multimodality Across Classrooms.

[12]  Jeffrey S. Russell,et al.  Experiential Learning in Engineering Practice , 2009 .

[13]  Sean P Brophy,et al.  Challenge-based instruction in biomedical engineering: a scalable method to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching and learning in biomedical engineering. , 2005, Medical engineering & physics.

[14]  Taylor Martin,et al.  Comparison of Student Learning in Challenge-based and Traditional Instruction in Biomedical Engineering , 2007, Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

[15]  L. M. Waples,et al.  The biomedical engineering cooperative education/Internship program at Marquette University , 1999, Proceedings of the First Joint BMES/EMBS Conference. 1999 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 21st Annual Conference and the 1999 Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (Cat. N.

[16]  Ziad O. Abu-Faraj.  Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering Education and Career Development: Literature Review, Definitions, and Constructive Recommendations* , 2008 .