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Biomedical Engineering Education

Biomedical Engineering Education - Poster Session D

Poster Q20 - Biomedical Engineering Stakeholders Perceived Value of Executive Summaries in Assessing Student Learning

Friday, October 25, 2024
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM EST
Location: Exhibit Hall E, F & G

Introduction:  To prepare students for the biomedical engineering (BME) workforce, students must engage with real-world problems that require collaboration [1] – [4]. One evidence-based pedagogical approach for supporting engineering students’ development of technical and professional skills through application-based experiences is known as problem-based learning (PBL) [5], [6]. PBL provides a mechanism for developing technical and professional competencies required to solve complex real-world BME challenges[6], [7].

While there are benefits of PBL, challenges with implementation and methods of assessment include instructor’s time constraints, disciplinary background, and experiences [8] – [10]. Given the interdisciplinarity nature of BME, it can be challenging to provide an environment with assessment from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Thus, it is critical that students engage with diverse BME stakeholders to better prepare students for the BME workforce [11] – [13]. Engaging diverse BME stakeholders in the PBL process is a powerful opportunity, providing just-in-time formative assessment and direct feedback to students working on BME challenges.

Our study describes insights from incorporating 25 BME stakeholders into the assessment of students’ learning in an introductory BME course centered in PBL pedagogical techniques. Student teams were given BME problems to solve and gave an oral executive summary of their progress to the BME stakeholders, termed course “facilitators” in our study, from various professional backgrounds. Facilitators provided real-time feedback on students’ problem-solving approaches and completed reflection surveys on their experiences engaging with students. Our study examines the following question: what do BME stakeholders perceive as the value of executive summaries in assessing student learning?

Materials and

Methods:  Context:
Our study context is an introductory biomedical engineering course that utilized PBL modules. The course was facilitated by BME stakeholders from outside the course to engage with the students about solving the BME problem-of-focus within a specific PBL module. Facilitators contributed their real-world experience and helped students engage with the engineering design process, provide relevant context, and give real-time feedback.

Participants:
A total of 25 facilitators participated in this study to facilitate PBL. Their perceptions were surveyed after completing the activity. Facilitators represented a variety of interdisciplinary backgrounds, such as clinicians, veterinary clinicians, engineers, entrepreneurs, etc.

Data Collection:
Facilitators were given an open-ended statement, “Please describe the role of executive summaries in your facilitator meetings,” following their facilitation and engagement with the students. This study was approved by the university Institutional Review Board and participants provided consent prior to completion of survey responses (IRB #20-274).

Theoretical Framework:
Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT) is a motivation theory utilized in this study that looks at the alignment between expected outcomes of a given task and the perceived value in achieving that task. This framework delineates four types of task values including attainment, intrinsic, utility, and cost [14]. EVT is well-aligned with our study’s focus because of its task-level unit of analysis and ability to analyze facilitator’s motivation for engaging in assessment tasks for BME student learning.

Data Analysis:
Thematic analysis was leveraged to analyze themes that appeared from the perspectives of facilitators and their evaluation of the executive summary.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: Using EVT as an analytical lens for our analysis, the most salient value of the executive summaries assessment task, as perceived by BME facilitators, was utility value. Utility value refers to the perceived usefulness of a task. As applied to our study, utility value refers to facilitators’ perceived usefulness of the students completing the executive summaries [14]. When looking at the value of executive summaries as an assessment task, facilitators articulated the usefulness in being able to see which students were participating and drive deeper engagement from the students. From an assessment standpoint, facilitators noted the utility value of utilizing the executive summary as a tool for providing real-time critical feedback on how students could improve. They also saw the utility value as the executive summaries allowed them to get acquainted with the students, the problems they were solving, and understanding the context of the problem so they could quickly get an understanding of the students work and how to help from their professional perspectives.

In conclusion, BME stakeholders, who were incorporated as PBL facilitators in an introductory BME course, primarily valued the executive summaries for the perceived utility, or usefulness, of the assessment task. Executive summaries allowed facilitators to quickly understand student’s work, sustain engagement, and give real-time feedback, which led them to positively valuing the executive summary and seeing the utility value of the summary as an engagement and assessment tool. It is important for BME stakeholders to see value in these summaries as PBL facilitators as it helps sustain both their motivation to continue to engage in the activities and sustain this unique pedagogical method to prepare students for the BME workforce.

Acknowledgements (Optional):  

References:

[1] LaPlaca, M. C., Newstetter, W. C., and Yoganathan, A. P., "Problem-based learning in biomedical engineering curricula," in *31st Annual Frontiers in Education Conference. Impact on Engineering and Science Education. Conference Proceedings (Cat. No. 01CH37193)*, vol. 2, pp. F3E-16, Oct. 2001.

[2] Harris, T. R. and Brophy, S. P., "Challenge-Based Instruction in Biomedical Engineering: A Scalable Method to Increase the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning in Biomedical Engineering," *Med. Eng. Phys.*, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 617-624, 2005.

[3] Garceau, L. R., Ebben, W. P., and Knudson, D. V., "Teaching Practices of the Undergraduate Introductory Biomechanics Faculty: A North American Survey," *Sport Biomech.*, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 542-558, 2012.

[4] Singh, A., Ferry, D., and Mills, S., "Improving Biomedical Engineering Education Through Continuity in Adaptive, Experiential, and Interdisciplinary Learning Environments," *J. Biomech. Eng.*, vol. 140, no. 8, p. 081009, 2018.

[5] Hung, W., Jonassen, D. H., and Liu, R., "Problem-based learning," in *Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology*, 3rd ed., Routledge, 2008, pp. 485-506.

[6] Warnock, J. N. and Mohammadi-Aragh, M. J., "Case study: use of problem-based learning to develop students' technical and professional skills," *Eur. J. Eng. Educ.*, vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 142-153, 2016.

[7] LaPlaca, M. C., Newstetter, W. C., and Yoganathan, A. P., "Problem-based learning in biomedical engineering curricula," in *31st Annual Frontiers in Education Conference. Impact on Engineering and Science Education. Conference Proceedings (Cat. No. 01CH37193)*, vol. 2, pp. F3E-16, Oct. 2001.

[8] Hung, W., "Theory to reality: A few issues in implementing problem-based learning," *Educ. Technol. Res. Dev.*, vol. 59, pp. 529-552, 2011.

[9] Clyne, A. M. and Billiar, K. L., "Problem-based learning in biomechanics: Advantages, challenges, and implementation strategies," *J. Biomech. Eng.*, vol. 138, no. 7, p. 070804, 2016.

[10] Tan, O. S., *Problem-based Learning Innovation: Using Problems to Power Learning in the 21st Century*, Gale Cengage Learning, 2021.

[11] Rivera, C. P., Huang-Saad, A., Jamison, C. S. E., and Wang, A., "Preparing early-career biomedical undergraduates through investigations of stakeholder needs: A qualitative analysis," in *2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access*, June 2020.

[12] Jamison, C. S. E., Vempala, V., Wang, A., Stegemann, J. P., and Huang-Saad, A., "What are biomedical engineering employers looking for in new hires? A qualitative synthesis," in *2021 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)*, pp. 1-5, Oct. 2021.

[13] Prestigiacomo, R., Chan, C. C., and Kark, L., "A biomedical engineering curriculum development: A qualitative study engaging four stakeholders," *Eur. J. Educ.*, vol. e12632, 2024.

[14] Leaper, C., "More similarities than differences in contemporary theories of social development?: A plea for theory bridging," *Adv. Child Dev. Behav.*, vol. 40, pp. 337-378, 2011.